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.     

Dynamics of twist effect in a dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal

The dynamics of the electrooptical 90° twist effect in a dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal is investigated for wavelengths of 0.65 and 1.55μ m. It is shown that the boundary conditions of the interaction between the phases affect the optical threshold of the twist effect, the contrast, and the working voltage range. The switching time of the twist effect from the off to the on state upon a variation of the amplitude of a rectangular dc voltage pulse from 15 to 50 V changes from 1.5 to 0.3 ms for a thickness of the nematic crystal layer of about 7 μ m. The minimal time of switching from the “on” to the “off” state was 3 ms in the case when relaxation of molecules in a cell with asymmetric boundary conditions was controlled electrically. The dynamic range of transmittance variation at a wavelength of 1.55 μm extended to 30 dB.     

Molecular field theory for nematic liquid crystal film with finite layers

The nematic liquid crystal film composed of n molecular layers is studied based upon a spatially anisotropic pair potential, which reproduces approximately the elastic free energy density. On condition that the system has perfect nematic order, as in the Lebwohl—Lasher model, the director in the film is isotropic. The effect of the temperature is investigated by means of molecular field theory. Some new results are obtained. Firstly, symmetry breaking takes place when taking account of the temperature, and the state with the director along the normal of the film has the lowest free energy. Secondly, the N—I phase transition temperature increases as an effect of finite sizes instead of decreasing as in the Lebwohl—Lasher model. Thirdly, the nematic order is induced in the layers near the surface in the isotropic phase.     

Dynamics of nematic liquid crystal disclinations: the role of the backflow

We measure the electric-field-driven annihilation of nematic disclination pairs with strength +/- 1/2 in the 4-cyano-4'-n-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) liquid crystal. The use of a very weak azimuthal anchoring ensures a two-dimensional director field. The relaxation is governed by the formation of a pi wall connecting the two opposite charge defects. The +1/2 disclinations move almost twice as fast as the -1/2 disclinations. The simple used geometry allows a quantitative comparison with numerical studies based on the hydrodynamics of the tensorial order parameter. The simulations show that in the pi wall regime the symmetry breaking is due to the backflow and not to the elastic anisotropy.     

Temperature dependence of the circular random walk relaxation time in nematic liquid crystal

Temperature dependence of the quasi-elastic neutron spectra were measured on an aligned and not aligned nematic material. The relaxation time and the activation energy were determined.     

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.     

Critical properties of a random transverse crystal field Ising model with bond dilution

Within effective field theory (EFT), the critical properties of a random transverse crystal field Ising model with bond dilution are studied on a square lattice. Under both weak and strong bond dilution conditions, we consider three cases (α = 0,±0.5) of a transverse crystal field ratio, obtaining global phase diagrams in T−D _x space for changes in the random transverse crystal field concentration. The phase diagrams obtained for a weak bond dilution are very similar in shape to those of pure bond but with decreases in corresponding ordered phases and critical values. However, the phase diagrams for a strong bond dilution exhibit varieties, including a change in reentrant phenomenon, the occurrence of transverse crystal field degeneration, and the opposite direction crossover of temperature peak value.     

Statistical mechanics of quenched inhomogeneous systems with random disorder

We propose a method to treat quenched disordered systems within the frame of an inhomogeneous ensemble of configurations. To describe a definite configuration, we make use of occupation numbers. By choosing an appropriate representation of these occupation numbers, we are able to deal with an inhomogeneous ensemble by elementary techniques as for instance used for uncorrelated occupation numbers in the frame of a translation invariant ensemble.     

Influence of electric field on photoluminescence of lanthanide-doped nematic liquid crystal

Highly resolved luminescence and luminescence excitation spectra of recently synthesized LnL₃bpy complexes, where Ln=Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺, bpy=2,2′- bipyridyne and L=phosphoroazo derivative of β-diketone: CCl₃C(O)NP(O)(OCH₃)₂, in solid state and dissolved in nematic liquid crystal 6CHBT [4-(isothiocyanatophenyl)-1-(trans-4-hexyl)cyclohexane] were measured. The photoluminescence intensity of the complexes dissolved in 6CHBT was found to exhibit a strong dependence on the electric field. The mechanism of the effect and reason of its asymmetry with respect to the sign of electric field are discussed in the paper. Luminescence decay time in various environments and experimental quantum yields of the luminescence of these compounds in CDCl₃ and CHCl₃ solutions were measured.     

Opto-acoustic modulator with a nematic liquid crystal

A liquid-crystal optical modulator working with acoustic signals is considered. It is shown that it can be operated also with white light up to frequencies of at least 1 MHz.     

Deformation of a pretilted nematic liquid crystal layer in an electric field

The deformation of the optical axis of a nematic liquid crystal layer under the influence of an electric field is caused by the dielectric torque. This momentum counteracts with an elastic torque generated by interfacial forces between the surface of the electrode and the liquid crystal. By means of a variational analysis, the deformation profiles within the liquid crystal layer are calculated, assuming large interfacial energies and various angles of pretilt of the liquid crystal directors with respect to the electrodes. Both the extreme case of a homeotropic (vertical) alignment on one electrode and a homogeneous (parallel) alignment on the opposite electrode, as well as the general case of arbitrary and different alignments on both electrodes, lead to heavily pretilted liquid crystal layers, resulting in definite deformation profiles without disclinations. Liquid crystal cells prepared in this way neither show threshold voltages nor delay times when electrical fields are applied. Measured and calculated characteristics of such liquid crystal cells are presented, they show good agreement.     

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.     

Analysis of photonic crystal fibers infiltrated with nematic liquid crystal

The spectral characteristic of a nematic liquid crystal photonic crystal fiber is analyzed. The locations of the transmission minima in the transmission spectrum can be evaluated by examining the modal cutoffs of specific modes in the liquid crystal inclusion. The selection criteria for these specific modes are based on the fraction of power residing in the core. Explicit expressions for these modal cutoffs are also derived.     

Nanostructures in a nematic liquid crystal

The effect of nanoobjects, molecular objects, and α particles introduced into a liquid-crystal matrix that is placed in a dc electric field is studied theoretically and experimentally. The introduced particles form a charged defect, the radius of which is much larger than the particle sizes, in the orientational structure of the liquid crystal. This defect is easily observed under an optical microscope, and its image agrees with calculated data. It is suggested that this effect be used for detection and diagnostics of small objects and for design of ionizing radiation detectors. The phenomena revealed in this work can help in producing new charged-defect-saturated liquid-crystal structures formed by introducing nanoparticles in a medium or by irradiating a medium by ionizing radiation. A nonmechanical principle of transport of nanoparticles and their regular incorporation into the lattice is implemented. The essence of this principle is control of molecular orientations in a liquid crystal by quasi-stationary electric fields.     

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.     

Glassy liquid crystals Observation of a quenched twisted nematic

A twisted nematic liquid crystalline layer has been rapidly solidified by exposure to liquid nitrogen. The resultant glass retained the macroscopic and microscopic liquid crystalline order.     

Three dimensional convective instability in nematic liquid crystal under an ac field

Using a light scattering technique, fluctuations in nematic MBBA under an a.c. field are investigated near a three dimensional convective instability point. It is found that the instability is accompanied by a critical slowing down of the thermally excited twist fluctuation and the appearance of the macroscopic undamped oscillation. A distribution of the molecular orientation is also proposed.     

Director field configurations around a spherical particle in a nematic liquid crystal

We study the director field around a spherical particle immersed in a uniformly aligned nematic liquid crystal and assume that the molecules prefer a homeotropic orientation at the surface of the particle. Three structures are possible: a dipole, a Saturn-ring, and a surface-ring configuration, which we investigate by numerically minimizing the Frank free energy supplemented by a magnetic-field and a surface term. In the dipole configuration, which is the absolutely stable structure for micron-size particles and sufficiently strong surface anchoring, a twist transition is found and analyzed. We show that a transition from the dipole to the Saturn ring configuration is induced by either decreasing the particle size or by applying a magnetic field. The effect of metastability and the occurrence of hysteresis in connection with a magnetic field are discussed. The surface-ring configuration appears when the surface-anchoring strength W is reduced. It is also favored by a large saddle-splay constant K₂₄. A comparison with recent experiments [#!itapdb:Poulin1997!#,#!itapdb:Poulin1998!#] gives a lower bound for W, i.e., for the interface of water and pentylcyanobiphenyl (5CB) in the presence of the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate. Received 2 November 1998