Continuum modelling of hybrid-aligned nematic liquid crystal cells: optical response and flexoelectricity-induced voltage shift

A continuum model is employed to study systematically the optical response of hybrid-aligned nematic (HAN) liquid crystal cells under the application of an external electric field. The influence of the flexoelectric effect is discussed for a large range of anchoring strengths at the homeotropic alignment layer. It is shown that the optical response of HAN cells is governed by a complicated interplay between the flexoelectric coefficient and homeotropic anchoring strength. In particular, the calculations reveal that, for weak homeotropic anchoring, the flexoelectric effect leads to a non-linear voltage shift of the optical transmittance as a function of flexoelectric coefficient, and gives rise to an asymmetry in the transmittance–voltage curve. Finally, a comparison of the continuum-model simulations with recent experimental observations indicates that both the flexoelectric coefficient and the anchoring strength of the nematic liquid crystal MBBA on a homeotropic polyimide alignment layer are significantly lower than previously reported.     

A hybrid-aligned polymer network liquid crystal: optical and electro-optical properties

We have studied the influence of polymer network liquid crystal alignment on optical and electro-optical properties. Composite alignment (parallel/homeotropic) was investigated in comparison with symmetric parallel/parallel and homeotropic/homeotropic alignments. The applied voltage leads to a reflective wavelength shift towards low wavelengths according to two modes in the case of symmetric planar alignment. Depending on polymerization conditions, a band broadening can be obtained, but a total reversibility of the optical properties is not recovered after application of a high voltage to the samples. The layer thickness appears to be a fundamental parameter in the case of a hybrid-aligned active layer and a wide band is obtained after measurements ( I - V ) using increasing voltages.     

A hybrid-aligned polymer network liquid crystal: optical and electro-optical properties

We have studied the influence of polymer network liquid crystal alignment on optical and electro-optical properties. Composite alignment (parallel/homeotropic) was investigated in comparison with symmetric parallel/parallel and homeotropic/homeotropic alignments. The applied voltage leads to a reflective wavelength shift towards low wavelengths according to two modes in the case of symmetric planar alignment. Depending on polymerization conditions, a band broadening can be obtained, but a total reversibility of the optical properties is not recovered after application of a high voltage to the samples. The layer thickness appears to be a fundamental parameter in the case of a hybrid-aligned active layer and a wide band is obtained after measurements (I - V) using increasing voltages.     

Accurate modelling of nematic liquid crystal under the combination of microwave signal and applied voltage

ABSTRACT

In this paper, a three-dimensional modelling of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) under the combined action of applied voltage and microwave signal is presented. The analytical method applied in the modelling is detailed. In previous research, the modelling of liquid crystal usually uses a small signal wave, and neglected its effect on the orientation of liquid crystal. In this paper, we take the microwave signal into consideration in the calculation of liquid crystal orientation, and get the influence of the power of microwave signal on the orientation. The variations of the relative permittivity of liquid crystal E7 with the power of microwave signals at 30 GHz are obtained. This method is applicable for the modelling of NLC under high power signals excitation.     

The optical response of liquid crystal cells to a low frequency driving voltage

This study investigates the optical response of liquid crystal cells to a low frequency square wave voltage of 0.1 Hz. It is found that there are three physical phenomena that dominate the overall properties of the device. The first is the discharging effect whereby the effective voltage over the liquid crystal layer decreases as a function of time; this occurs due to mobile ions being present within the liquid crystal material. The second is the charging-up of the cell where the effective voltage increases with time; this is attributed to charge separation taking place within the polyimide layer upon application of the d.c. voltage component. The third effect is cell asymmetry whereby the effective voltage depends upon the polarity of the externally applied field; this is the result of a locked-in d.c. holding voltage being present within the cell layers. These three effects are analysed in some detail with the view of developing a liquid crystal cell capable of being driven with a low frequency square wave voltage. A model of a liquid crystal cell in which the liquid crystal material can dissolve impurity ions from the alignment layers and in which the ions can then become re-adsorbed into the polyimide layer is deduced.     

Pulsed voltage studies of electric field effects on the optical permittivity of a nematic liquid crystal

Prism coupling to resonant optical modes in a thin layer of homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal has been used to characterize the change in refractive indices which occurs when an electric field is applied. Reflectivity data, recorded over a range of angles of incidence for both TE and TM radiation show sharp minima corresponding to the excitation of optical modes in the liquid crystal layer. Application of a pulsed AC voltage, pulsed to avoid heating, while synchronously monitoring reflectivity changes allows detailed characterization of the shift in the position of these minima due to the influence of the electric field on both the ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices. By fitting theoretical predictions of Fresnel theory a complete characterization of change in both these parameters up to an applied field of some 5 × 10⁶ Vm^-1 is achieved. The refractive index changes recorded are compared with the director fluctuation order parameter theory with which good agreement is found.     

Dynamic response of super-twisted nematic liquid crystal displays

The dynamics of super-twisted nematic (STN) liquid crystal displays was studied by detailed computer simulation. The time evolution of director configuration and velocity of flow as obtained by solving Ericksen-Leslie hydrodynamic equations. The influence of d/p value and pretilt angle on the dynamic response was also studied. A comparison was also made between twisted nematic and STN liquid crystal displays.     

Dynamic response of super-twisted nematic liquid crystal displays

The dynamics of super-twisted nematic (STN) liquid crystal displays was studied by detailed computer simulation. The time evolution of director configuration and velocity of flow as obtained by solving Ericksen-Leslie hydrodynamic equations. The influence of d/p value and pretilt angle on the dynamic response was also studied. A comparison was also made between twisted nematic and STN liquid crystal displays.     

Ionic relaxation in nematic liquid crystal cells

We investigate the dependence of the relaxation time of the current flowing in a nematic cell submitted to an external dc voltage on the physical properties of the substrate. We show that previously presented analyses of the same problem are not very useful for practical applications. We compare our theoretical predictions with experimental data, and show that the agreement is rather good. The influence of the adsorption-desorption phenomenon on the relaxation time is also discussed.     

Planar and twisted lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal cells as optical compensators for twisted nematic displays

We have explored the use of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) as promising materials for optical compensators for liquid crystal displays. We used aqueous solutions of disodium cromoglycate in the range of concentrations that yield a chromonic N phase. The N phase is aligned by rubbed polyimide layers giving planar orientation. Two different types of LCLC-based elements are described: (a) a uniformly aligned planar N phase that forms an optically uniaxial plate with a negative birefringence; (b) twisted cells of LCLC obtained by doping the N phase with chiral amino acids. Both planar and twisted N* phase cells were used for compensation of the positive birefringence of twisted nematic (TN) displays; the TN devices were appreciably improved. We achieved achromatic dark state and contrast ratio up to 50:1 at all directions within a 40° cone of viewing angle.     

Planar and twisted lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal cells as optical compensators for twisted nematic displays

We have explored the use of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) as promising materials for optical compensators for liquid crystal displays. We used aqueous solutions of disodium cromoglycate in the range of concentrations that yield a chromonic N phase. The N phase is aligned by rubbed polyimide layers giving planar orientation. Two different types of LCLC-based elements are described: (a) a uniformly aligned planar N phase that forms an optically uniaxial plate with a negative birefringence; (b) twisted cells of LCLC obtained by doping the N phase with chiral amino acids. Both planar and twisted N* phase cells were used for compensation of the positive birefringence of twisted nematic (TN) displays; the TN devices were appreciably improved. We achieved achromatic dark state and contrast ratio up to 50:1 at all directions within a 40° cone of viewing angle.     

Intra-cell ionic properties of twisted nematic liquid crystal cells

Under 1-kHz and low-frequency driving, we report our investigation of intra-cell ionic properties of two twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal (LC) cells made of same LC mixture but different polyimide (PI) materials for LC alignments. A heterodyne interferometry system was used to measure the phase retardations of the TN cells versus applied voltages at 1 kHz. We also measured the phase retardations and currents of the TN cells versus time by applying a mid-grayscale voltage of 1.3 V at 0.1 Hz to the cells. Related to the above-measured data, we have developed equations to characterise the field-driven transports of mobile charge carriers within the PI films independently from that within the LC medium of same TN cell to obtain time-dependent in-cell voltages of mobile charge carries across the LC mixture and across two PI-alignment films, respectively. Our experimental methods can be used to optimise LC mixtures and PI materials for low-refresh-rate thin-film-transistor-driven liquid crystal displays (LCDs) for low power and provide bases for further investigations on mobile-charge-carrier generation and transport within thin in-cell PI-alignment films as well as within the LC mixture of same LC cell.     

Computer modelling of the director configuration in a supertwist nematic liquid crystal cell

Abstract

The director distribution in a supertwist nematic cell, containing La-Roche liquid crystal mixture 3010, has been studied extensively using Berreman's computer simulation approach. It is seen that the director distribution in the cell depends critically on the total twist angle θ_t, the surface tilt angle θ_o and the ratio of the cell thickness to the pitch d/p. The values of θ_o and φ_t have been optimized to yield a small bistability (ΔV = 0.06 V) and a relatively large change in the midplane tilt angle (Δθ_m = 51°) in an unstrained cell with ?_t = (d/p) × 360°. The optimum values of θ_o and Ø_t were found to be 15° and 240°, respectively. The effect of varying d/p on the director distribution has also been studied in great detail in supertwist cells with θ_o = 30° and Ø_t = 270°. Some interesting features in understrained and overstrained cells have been observed.     

Contrast ratio of twisted nematic liquid crystal cells and its improvement

The light leakage of twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal displays is investigated. While the TN mode has a robust structure in regard to light scattering, due to thermal fluctuations of the liquid crystals and light leakage from imperfect rubbing defects, it maintains significant residual retardation of the liquid crystal layer in the black state. The residual retardation is induced by the azimuthally twisted liquid crystal alignment near substrate surfaces and causes major light leakage in the black state. We investigated several methods to compensate for the residual retardation, and the methods include the adjustment of the helical power of the liquid crystal material, the increase of driving voltage, the control of rubbing direction and a newly designed compensation film with a small angle twist. Though all these methods improve the contrast ratio by about 30%, each method has its own weaknesses and limitations. The development of a new compensation film would provide a good chance for future TN applications.     

Crystallisation of nematic liquid crystal mixtures

In this paper, we propose a method to accelerate the crystallisation of nematic liquid crystal mixtures based on crystallisation theory. This method is to hold a nematic liquid crystal sample at a temperature suitable for crystal growth after aging it at a temperature suitable for nucleation. After we specified these temperatures of a nematic liquid crystal mixture using differential scanning calorimetry, we demonstrate that the two-temperature aging method is effective for the crystallisation of other nematic liquid crystal mixtures in which the crystal-liquid crystal transition temperature has so far been undetectable.     

Instabilities of nematic liquid crystal films

We discuss instabilities exhibited by free surface nematic liquid crystal (NLC) films of nanoscale thickness deposited on solid substrates, with a focus on surface instabilities that lead to dewetting. Such instabilities have been discussed extensively; however, there is still no consensus regarding the interpretation of experimental results, appropriate modeling approaches, or instability mechanisms. Instabilities of thin NLC free surface films are related to a wider class of problems involving dewetting of non-Newtonian fluids. For nanoscale films, the substrate–film interaction, often modeled by a suitable disjoining pressure, becomes relevant. For NLCs, one can extend the formulation to include the elastic energy of the NLC film, leading to an ‘effective’ disjoining pressure, playing an important role in instability development. Focusing on thin film modeling within the framework of the long-wave asymptotic model, we discuss various instability mechanisms and outline problems where new research is needed.     

Ferroelectric polymer nanocomposite alignment layer in twisted nematic liquid crystal devices for reducing switching voltage

Twisted nematic liquid crystal device (TNLCD) was fabricated using a ferroelectric zinc oxide (ZnO)-doped polyimide alignment layer. The ferroelectric nanoparticle can produce a local electric field, which can trigger the orientation of liquid crystal molecule and reduces the switching voltage. The uniform dispersion of ferroelectric ZnO nanoparticles in the alignment layer was studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The ferroelectric property of ZnO-doped polyimide was investigated using dynamic contact electrostatic force microscopy. An increased local electric field due to the presence of nano ZnO was confirmed with the help of scanning tunnelling microscopy. An augmentation of capacitance was observed with an increase in concentration, which substantiates the reduction of switching voltage of TNLCD with the modification of ferroelectric nanoparticle-doped alignment layer.     

Analysis of cell gap-dependent driving voltage in a fringe field-driven homogeneously aligned nematic liquid crystal display

We have studied cell gap-dependent driving voltage characteristics in a homogeneously aligned nematic liquid crystal (LC) cell driven by a fringe electric field, termed the fringe field switching (FFS) mode. The results show that for the FFS mode using a LC with positive dielectric anisotropy, the operating voltage decreases as the cell gap decreases, whereas it increases with a decreasing cell gap when using a LC with negative dielectric anisotropy. The difference between LCs is explained by simulation and experiment.     

Analysis of cell gap-dependent driving voltage in a fringe field-driven homogeneously aligned nematic liquid crystal display

We have studied cell gap-dependent driving voltage characteristics in a homogeneously aligned nematic liquid crystal (LC) cell driven by a fringe electric field, termed the fringe field switching (FFS) mode. The results show that for the FFS mode using a LC with positive dielectric anisotropy, the operating voltage decreases as the cell gap decreases, whereas it increases with a decreasing cell gap when using a LC with negative dielectric anisotropy. The difference between LCs is explained by simulation and experiment.