Electric method for studying reorientation dynamics of the nematic liquid crystal director

A method has been proposed for studying the reorientation dynamics of the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) director using the results of measurements of the electric response of an LC cell. The simulation of the time dependences of the current in an LC cell with a homogeneous orientation is carried out upon variation of the applied voltage, the initial tilt angle of the director, dielectric anisotropy, and the elasticity coefficient, as well as the dynamic viscosity, density, and ion mobility in the NLC. A comparison of the experimental and computational curves of the electric response for NLC 5CB shows their good agreement. The method makes it possible to monitor the steady-state current, the density, and the ion mobility in NLCs.     

Orientational optical torque in a nematic liquid crystal,caused by trans- and cis-isomers of low- and high-molecular compounds

The effect of light on the conformational composition of low- and high-molecular (fifth-generation dendrimer) azobenzene dyes in a nematic host is studied. The orientational optical response of the nematic liquid crystal (NLC), caused by the presence of these compounds in the nematic host, is measured. The contributions of isomers to the orientational optical torque affecting the NLC director are determined. The results obtained suggest that the increase in the optical orientation efficiency in NLCs when using high-molecular dopants instead of low-molecular ones is unrelated to the difference in their conformational composition in the light field, but is caused by deceleration of orientational motion of chromophores.     

Some features of second harmonic generation in the nematic liquid crystal 5CB in the pulsed-periodic electric field

Second harmonic generation (SHG) induced by an external pulsed-periodic electric field in a 5CB nematic liquid crystal (NLC) is investigated. Deformation of the NLC under this field is analyzed, and a possibility of its accumulation is established. The observed SHG features are due to the domains with quite different director orientations emerging in the NLC.     

Investigation of the influence of external electric field on the anisotropy of nematic liquid crystals by X-Ray interferometry

The influence of external electric field on the anisotropy of a layer of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) was investigated by means of X-Ray interferometric method. It was shown that in Xray range of the spectrum NLC E7 is a positive anisotropic medium. The decrements of a layer of NLC subjected to the electric field were calculated. As a result of reorientation of NLC molecules perpendicular to the cell substrate, the decrements prove equal for cases when the optical axis of a sample was initially perpendicular or parallel to the X-ray beam polarization vector.     

Electric field effects in nematic liquid crystals doped with carbon nanotubes

The aim of this paper was to investigate electric field induced effects in mixtures of nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) with positive electric anisotropies (MCL 6601 Merck) with carbon nanotubes (MWCNT from Aldrich). In planar alignment, the current–electric field dependence and the current–temperature dependence were explained by assuming a Poole–Frenkel effect (i.e. a tunnelling mechanism) and good agreement with the experimental data was obtained. Within this high field range it resulted that in planar aligned NLC–CNTs mixture the conductivity decreases when the temperature was increased. In homeotropic aligned mixture, the conduction mechanism is similar to the one occurring in a semiconductor: the conductivity increases when increasing temperature. This happens because in thin liquid crystal cells there is a possibility to realize an inner contact between nanotubes and electrodes so the mixture behaves like a semiconductor.     

Behaviour of nematic liquid crystals doped with ferroelectric nanoparticles in the presence of an electric field

A planar nematic liquid crystal cell (NLC) doped with spherical ferroelectric nanoparticles is considered. Polarisation of the nanoparticles are assumed to be along the NLC molecules parallel and antiparallel to the director with equal probability. The NLC molecules anchoring to the cell walls are considered to be strong, while soft anchoring at the nanoparticles surface is supposed. Behaviour of the NLC molecules and nanoparticles in the presence of a perpendicular electric field to the NLC cell is theoretically investigated. The electric field of the nanoparticles is taken into account in the calculations. Freedericksz transition (FT) threshold field in the presence of nanoparticles is found. Then, the director and particles reorientations for the electric fields larger than the threshold field are studied. Measuring the onset of the nanoparticles reorientation is proposed as a new method for the FT threshold measurement.     

Optical bistability of the director field of the dendrimer-doped nematic liquid crystal

It was found that the second-generation carbosilane dendrimers with statistically distributed terminal aliphatic and azobenzene fragments induce negative orientational nonlinearity in nematic liquid crystals (NLC) (the NLC director turns perpendicular to the light field, decreasing the refractive index of an extraordinary wave). The light-induced Freedericksz transition in planar oriented NLCs is the first-order orientational phase transition characterized by a wide bistability region.     

Electric convection in a nematic liquid crystal in a varying electric field

The emergence of electric convection in a nematic liquid crystal under the action of a varying electric field is analyzed in the 1D approximation. A new mode of external field variation with subharmonic oscillations is proposed. The behavior of several classes of synchronous perturbations and subharmonic oscillations is analyzed; the evolution of the fields of the director and of the volume charge is studied. Parametric instability regions are specified and the critical frequencies of transitions between response modes are determined. Stability maps for a nematic liquid crystal are plotted on the frequency-amplitude plane.     

Investigation of Nematic Liquid Crystals Doped with Spherical Multiferroic Nanoparticles in the Presence of a Magnetic Field

Recently, multiferroic nanoparticles (MFNPs) have attracted significant attention as dopant in the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) medium. Here, behavior of the NLC molecules and MFNPs in the presence of a magnetic field is theoretically investigated in the framework of continuum theory, based on our knowledge. The electric field of the MFNPs is taken into account in the calculations. Freedericksz transition (FT) threshold field in the presence of spherical nanoparticles is determined. Dependence of the FT threshold to the diameter and volume fraction of the nanoparticles was studied. Also, the NLC director and nanoparticle reorientations for the magnetic field larger than the FT threshold field are studied. It was shown that the FT threshold of NLC is decreased by doping of spherical MFNPs. Migration of the nanoparticles to the central layers of the cell (segregation effect) is investigated.     

Controllable switching behavior of optical Tamm state based on nematic liquid crystal

The controllable behavior of optical Tamm state (OTS) is investigated in a heterostructure with nematic liquid crystal (NLC). By changing the external fields (electric field and temperature), the orientation of NLC’s molecules can be modified. It offers us an effective way to control the optical properties of the optical Tamm state. We obtain the critical condition for the appearance of the optical Tamm state. Our theoretical analysis and numerical simulations show that through choosing appropriate parameters we can not only change the frequency position of the optical Tamm state, but also realize the disappearance of the OTS.     

Dynamic photorefractivity in nematic liquid crystal cells with photoconductive orienting layers

A new mechanism of photorefractivity in nematic liquid crystal cells with photoconductive orienting layers, referred to as dynamic photorefractivity, is proposed. The essence of this mechanism is as follows: an external ac electric field excites quasi-periodic subgratings at the interface between a liquid crystal and a photoconductive orienting layer. The interference optical field, inducing a charge distribution on the surface of the orienting layers, modulates the surface anchoring force and the penetration depth of the external field into the liquid crystal layer. As a result, the surface charge grating azimuthally reorients subgratings according to its structure and stabilizes their period. Since the amplitude of the subgratings is determined by the strength of the applied electric field and the cell parameters, the wave mixing efficiency in the dynamic mode may significantly exceed that in the classical orientational effect.     

Improvement of turn-on time of liquid-crystal phase retarder by using an additional control voltage

We investigate theoretically and experimentally the process of turn-on time control of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) based phase retarder by means of an additional control voltage. We propose a theoretical model of reorientation of NLC molecules in crossed electric fields (conventional transverse field and additional longitudinal field). The dynamics of reorientation of NLC molecules is considered depending on the ratio of amplitudes of control voltages. We show the possibility to reduce the turn-on time in NLC-based phase-retarder management by means of two control voltages.     

Dynamics of electroconvective nematic liquid crystal structures in a nonharmonic electric field

The emergence of electroconvection in a nematic liquid crystal under the action of a nonharmonic electric field is investigated. Analysis is carried out using a 2D model. We propose new forms of the varying electric field acting on the system, for which subharmonic oscillations exist: (a) electric field of a trapezoidal form and (b) external field varying in accordance with the law of “joined cosines.” The behavior of synchronous excitations in the insulating and conducting regimes, as well as subharmonic oscillations, is analyzed. The parametric instability domains are found, and the critical frequencies of transition between different response regimes are determined. The stability maps of the nematic liquid crystal are constructed on the frequency-voltage amplitude plane.     

Orientational order parameter and rotational viscosity in C60 doped E7 nematic liquid crystal

The reorientational order parameter dependent complex linear susceptibilities are derived based on the angular averaged linear response theory of the molecular polarizability, which includes the Vuks type equations of anisotropic refractive indices and absorbances. The polar angular absorbance at 633 nm wavelength is measured as a function of the concentration of fullerene C₆₀ in E7 nematic liquid crystals (NLCs), from which the order parameter is deduced. It is shown that the order parameter has a linear dependence of dopant concentration. We also present a simple optical transmission method by adopting the closed-aperture Z-scan geometry under the influence of switching on and off the dc electric field to determine the optical relaxation time and the rotational viscosity coefficient of C₆₀ doped E7 NLC. The experimental results are pretty well explained by using the Osipov-Terentjev theory of the rotational viscosity with the measured order parameter.     

Influence of additional electric field on the birefringence of a nematic liquid crystal

Influence of the longitudinal voltage applied along the semiconductor substrate of a planar-oriented liquid crystal cell on the birefringence of a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) was investigated. It is shown that for a fixed magnitude of the transverse field the application of a longitudinal voltage creates an additional possibility to control the electro-optically induced phase incursion of the radiation passing through NLC. Dependence of the phase incursion on the control voltages is obtained. The results of simulation of the longitudinal voltage effect on the NLC reorientation are described. The obtained results can be used in development and designing of NLC phase modulators.     

Relation between the microscopic and macroscopic descriptions of the effect of a solid-substrate surface on a homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal

A simple microscopic mean-field model is proposed for a homeotropically aligned planar nematic liquid crystal (NLC) in contact with a solid-substrate surface. The intermolecular interaction in the NLC is simulated with the anisotropic McMillan potential, and the orienting effect of the substrate surface on the molecules in the NLC is described as that of an external field acting only on the first surface molecular layer of the sample. This model is used to describe the deformation of the director field of the sample caused by the external field and to determine the anchoring strength coefficient W, which is employed to macroscopically describe the orienting effect of the solid substrate on the NLC. The dependence of this coefficient on the strength of the short-range orienting field of the substrate surface used in the proposed microscopic model is found, and a unique correspondence between W and the profile of the orientational order parameter near the substrate surface is established. The temperature dependence of the anchoring strength coefficient is derived and found to agree well with experimental data for the MBBA NLC.     

Mode-hop-free fine tuning of an external-cavity diode laser with an intracavity liquid crystal cell

A planar nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cell is incorporated into a Littman-type external cavity as the wavelength-tuning device for a semiconductor laser diode. By varying the driving voltage of the NLC cell and laser diode bias current simultaneously, we demonstrate single-mode oscillation and mode-hop-free tuning over 19.2 GHz at 775 nm. The result is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.     

Rayleigh–Benard Convection in the homeotropic nematic liquid crystal by a Gaussian laser beam absorption

The Rayleigh–Benard Convection (RBC) were studied theoretically in the homeotropic nematic liquid crystal (NLC) cell due to the absorption of a normally incident Gaussian light beam from upper side of the cell. It was shown that a convection of hydrodynamic motion in the NLC can be induced and eventually the molecular director coupling with hydrodynamics reorients the director. An external magnetic field parallel to the director decreases the director reorientation and the radial flow velocity, while the velocity in the z direction is unaffected. The results were found to be in a range that can easily be checked experimentally.     

Forced Synchronization of Electroconvective Roll Oscillations in Nematic Liquid Crystals

The forced phase locking in a system of the oscillating electroconvective rolls that form in a nematic liquid crystal layer in a dc electric field is studied. As a result of the action of an additive ac electric field with a small amplitude, the system of oscillators is found to be divided into clusters, where oscillations are fully phase locked. The electroconvective rolls in neighboring clusters oscillate in antiphase and the clusters are separated by Ising walls. The phase locking is shown to be maximal at the forcing frequency that is close to the double frequency of the natural oscillations of rolls. A model is proposed to describe spatially distributed phase oscillators, and it takes into account the symmetries of a system of electroconvective rolls and external forcing. The results of numerical simulations agree well with the experimental data.     

Giant flexoelectricity of bent-core nematic liquid crystals

Flexoelectricity is a coupling between orientational deformation and electric polarization. We present a direct method for measuring the flexoelectric coefficients of nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) via the electric current produced by periodic mechanical flexing of the NLC's bounding surfaces. This method is suitable for measuring the response of bent-core liquid crystals, which are expected to demonstrate a much larger flexoelectric effect than traditional, calamitic liquid crystals. Our results reveal that not only is the bend flexoelectric coefficient of bent-core NLCs gigantic (more than 3 orders of magnitude larger than in calamitics) but also it is much larger than would be expected from microscopic models based on molecular geometry. Thus, bent-core nematic materials can form the basis of a technological breakthrough for conversion between mechanical and electrical energy.