Specific features of photoisomerization of provitamin D 3 in a nematic liquid crystal

Photoisomerization of provitamin D ₃ (7-dehydrocholesterol) in a nematic liquid crystal (ZLI-1695, Merck) is investigated in detail by UV absorption spectroscopy. It is found that dissolution of chiral molecules of provitamin D ₃ induces the cholesteric phase in a nematic. The spectral kinetics of photoisomerization in this phase changes significantly from that in an ethanol solution. A sharp nonmonotonic dependence of the increase in accumulation of trans isomer tachysterol in a liquid crystal matrix with a decrease in the induced cholesteric pitch from 2200 to 25 μm is revealed.     

On the possibility of the violation of the Curie-Neumann principle in anisotropic media with dissymmetry

The dynamics of defects and their mutual transformation and annihilation in drops of a nematic-cholesteric mixture in the presence of quasistatic electric fields has been investigated by the birefringence method. Three basic independent configurations of the director distribution—static and dynamic with the right and left-handed twists of cholesteric layers around the axis parallel to the field—are formed above the threshold field. The possible mechanisms of the observed processes have been discussed. It has been shown that a certain symmetry of the causes (the nematic-cholesteric liquid crystal and field) does not necessarily lead to the corresponding symmetry of the induced structures and mechanical processes. An anisotropic distribution of the orientation of rotating spiral structures with respect to the normal to the nematic-cholesteric liquid crystal layer has been revealed.     

Printable flexible cholesteric capsule display with a fine resolution of RGB subpixels

We report a method for fabricating a cholesteric liquid crystal capsule display wherein the red, green, and blue capsules are separated in the subpixels with a width of 200 μm. The mixture of a photo-isomerizable chiral dopant and a nematic liquid crystal was encapsulated by an emulsification technique, and then directly printed onto a plastic substrate. A UV light with different amount of energy was exposed through a shadow photomask, and consequently, the red, green, and blue colors were separately induced in each subpixels zone.     

Cholesteric–nematic transitions induced by a shear flow and a magnetic field

The untwisting of the helical structure of a cholesteric liquid crystal under the action of a magnetic field and a shear flow has been studied theoretically. Both factors can induce the cholesteric–nematic transition independently; however, the difference in the orienting actions of the magnetic field and the shear flow leads to competition between magnetic and hydrodynamic mechanisms of influence on the cholesteric liquid crystal. We have analyzed different orientations of the magnetic field relative to the direction of the flow in the shear plane. In a number of limiting cases, the analytic dependences are obtained for the pitch of the cholesteric helix deformed by the shear flow. The phase diagrams of the cholesteric–nematic transitions and the pitch of the cholesteric helix are calculated for different values of the magnetic field strength and the angle of orientation, the flow velocity gradient, and the reactive parameter. It is shown that the magnetic field stabilizes the orientation of the director in the shear flow and expands the boundaries of orientability of cholesterics. It has been established that the shear flow shifts the critical magnetic field strength of the transition. It is shown that a sequence of reentrant orientational cholesteric–nematic–cholesteric transitions can be induced by rotating the magnetic field in certain intervals of its strength and shear flow velocity gradients.     

Amplification of the emission of a liquid-crystal microlaser by means of a uniform liquid-crystal layer

The amplification of the emission of a microlaser based on a cholesteric liquid crystal by means of a uniformly oriented layer of a laser-dye-doped nematic liquid crystal is demonstrated. The nematic liquid crystal is characterized by the anisotropy of optical properties, including the amplification coefficient, which opens the possibility of creating amplifiers controlled by a low electric field.     

Room-temperature single photon sources with definite circular and linear polarizations

We report experimental results of two room-temperature single photon sources with definite polarization based on emitters embedded in either cholesteric or nematic liquid crystal hosts. In the first case, a cholesteric 1-D photonic bandgap microcavity provides circular polarization of definite handedness of single photons from single colloidal semiconductor quantum dots (nanocrystals). In these experiments, the spectral position of the quantum dot fluorescence maximum is at the bandedge of a photonic bandgap structure. The host does not destroy fluorescence antibunching of single emitters. In the second case, photons with definite linear polarization are obtained from single dye molecules doped in a planar-aligned nematic liquid crystal host. The combination of sources with definite linear and circular polarization states of single photons can be used in a practical implementation of the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol.     

Piezoelectric effect in liquid crystals

A piezoelectric effect has been observed in a cholesteric liquid crystal layer (an electric field effect type, a mixture of cholesteryl oleyl carbonate, cholesteryl chloride and cholesteryl nonanoate) [1]. The layer, subjected to shear vibration, generates an alternating electric potential of the same frequency as the exciting vibration. In the present paper an extension of these investigations is reported to cases with various mixing ratios and also to one of smectic liquid crystals (lecithin with water). For a cholesteric liquid crystal of a particular mixing ratio, the strength of the electric generation is found to reach as high as 450 mV(p-p) for a vibratory shear displacement of 1 μm(p-p) under a certain molecular orientation preparation. Small electric generation is also observed for the above smectic liquid crystal but not for the nematic liquid crystals (MBBA and EBBA). A simple continuum elasticity model can qualitatively explain the behaviour of this electric potential generation.     

Grayscale-Memory Spatial Light Modulator with Polymer-Dispersed Phase-Transition Liquid Crystal

A new storage-type spatial light modulator has been developed which uses a polymer-dispersed phase-transition liquid crystal film and a photoconductor for high-brightness projection displays. The liquid crystal film containing micrometer-sized chiral nematic liquid crystal domains subdivided by a unique honeycomb polymer network functions as a memory layer for an input image. The liquid crystal domains independently maintain the binary alignment states in the opaque (light-scattering) cholesteric phase or transparent nematic phase. Grayscale images can be displayed according to the spatial distribution of the bistable liquid crystal domains. The device exhibits rapid response of a few ms and a limiting resolution of 32 lp/mm. It has the advantages of high transmittance without polarizers and ease of fabrication due to the free-standing liquid crystal film.     

Free energy of liquid crystals with slowly changing parameters of orientational order

The entropy formulation of the three-parameter law of corresponding states in the Holleran-Hammes form, permitting the geometric correspondence of the form (anisotropy) of molecules to be taken into account, served as the basis for obtaining the dependence of the anisotropy of the component of the free energy G of a liquid crystal on the temperature T, pressure P, and relative anisotropy of b of the van der Waals repulsion parameter. An expression is derived for the functional G of a liquid crystal which is weakly inhomogeneous (over the molecular length), making it possible to find the spatial distribution not only for the directions of orientational order (director field) but also its magnitude (field of Tsvetkov parameter ). An appendix studies the dependence of the pitch of the spiral (helicoid) of a cholesteric liquid crystal (weakly doped nematic liquid crystal) on T, P, b, , and the concentration of the active additive. The theoretical results obtained are compared with experiment.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp.104–109, June, 1978.The author is indebted to V. K. Semenchenko for stimulating discussions, to N. A. Glushkov for assistance in selecting the experimental data, and to the reviewer for useful comments.     

Identification criterion for the mechanisms of orientation instability of cholesteric liquid crystals in ultrasonic fields

An identification criterion is proposed and experimentally substantiated for the two independent acoustic mechanisms (vortex and relaxation ones) governing the formation of a system of two-dimensional domains in a planar layer of a cholesteric liquid crystal in the frequency range where the sound wavelength is greater than the step of the cholesteric circuit. The results of measuring the critical compression amplitude in mesophase layers with thicknesses from 40 to 240 μm are presented for frequencies lower and higher than the frequency equal to the inverse relaxation time of the orientation order parameter in a cholesteric liquid crystal. The data are obtained for diluted solutions of cholesterilchloride in a nematic liquid crystal with a circuit step varied from 2 to 30 μm. The concept of the binary nature of the acoustic mechanism that causes destabilization of the planar texture of a cholesteric liquid crystal in the frequency range under consideration is experimentally verified.     

Universal scaling of dielectric response of various liquid crystals and glass-forming liquids

Abstract

We present a new generalized scaling relationship accounting both for the real and imaginary parts of the complex permittivity data. The generalized scaling procedure has been successfully used for various relaxation processes in liquid crystals (4-bromobenzylidene-4′-pentyloxyaniline, 4-bromobenzylidene-4′-hexyloxyaniline, 4′-butyl-4-(2-methylbutoxy)-azoxybenzene, 4-ethyl-4′-octylazoxybenzene), and in glass-forming liquids (glycerol, propylene carbonate, salol, cresolphthalein-dimethylether). As it is shown, one obtains common master-curve for liquid-like phases (isotropic liquid, cholesteric, nematic, smectic A), solid-like phases (smectic B, conformationally disorder crystal) and supercooled liquid phase.     

The synthesis of the chiral non-mesogenic d-seco estrone derivatives and their influence on the phase transitions of cholesteric liquid crystals

The synthesis of new chiral seco-estrone derivatives is presented, as well as their influence on the phase transition of binary mixtures of cholesteryc liquid crystals. The new chiral derivatives do not posses any liquid crystalline phases and were synthesized in several synthetic steps, starting from estrone. We have studied the mixtures of cholesteryl non-anoate (40%) with cholesteryl myristate (40%) and addition of new chiral derivatives 3 4, or 5 (20%). It was concluded that the addition of chiral derivative 3 to the binary mixture stabilizes smectic A and cholesteric phase and shifts the phase transition temperature with respect to pure binary mixture for about 5°C towards lower temperatures. The extension of the temperature range of the cholesteric phase from 5°C to 15°C was established in the case when the derivatives 3 and 4 are added to the binary mixture of cholesteryl nonanoate with cholesteryl myristate. The phase diagrams of investigated compounds are formed on the basis of data obtained by the optical microscopy. Using X-ray diffraction on the crystalline powder of unoriented samples we have determined the molecular parameters: the thickness of smectic and cholesteric layers and average distance between the long axes of neighboring molecules.     

Structure of polarization-resolved conoscopic patterns of planar oriented liquid crystal cells

The geometry of distributions of the polarization of light in conoscopic patterns of planar oriented nematic and cholesteric liquid crystal (LC) cells is described in terms of the polarization singularities including C-points (points of circular polarization) and L lines (lines of linear polarization). Conditions for the formation of polarization singularities (C-points) in an ensemble of conoscopic patterns parametrized by the polarization azimuth and ellipticity of the incident light wave have been studied. A characteristic feature of these conditions is selectivity with respect to the polarization parameters of the incident light wave. The polarization azimuth and ellipticity are determining parameters for nematic and cholesteric LC cells, respectively.     

Light-induced instabilities driven by competing helical patterns in long-pitch cholesterics

We study theoretically the dynamical reorientation phenomena when a long-pitch cholesteric liquid-crystal film with homeotropic alignment is illuminated by a circularly polarized lightwave. In the present case, the natural cholesteric pitch is of the order of (or larger than) the film thickness. The helical cholesteric structure is thus frustrated by the boundary conditions without illumination. However, above a light intensity threshold reorientation occurs and the bifurcation scenario depends strongly on the natural cholesteric pitch. Recalling that a long-pitch cholesteric is achieved in practice by adding a small amount of chiral agents in a nematic liquid crystal, the observed dynamics can be viewed as the result of the competition between intrinsic and extrinsic unidimensional helical patterns. The intrinsic part consists of the helical deformations induced by the chirality of the dopant, whereas the extrinsic part is related to the chirality induced by the optical field through the non-uniform angular momentum transfer of light to a nematic. The all-optical analog in the case of a pure nematic (without chiral dopant), is also discussed.     

Anomalous Scenario for Termination of Metastable Melting in Simplified Coulomb Models in the Zero‐Temperature Limit

Two non‐standard scenarios of melting termination in deep metastable states are studied in the zero‐temperature limit on the base of two variants of modified one‐component Coulomb models. These additional scenarios supplement the previously studied standard case of “spinodal decomposition” (Iosilevskiy and Chigvintsev, arXiv:0609059) when liquid binodal of metastable freezing (liquidus) is terminated in intersection with gas‐liquid spinodal. In the first new scenario hypothetical unique crystal‐fluid global phase coexistence is realized as smooth superposition of melting and sublimation transitions (without gas‐liquid transition and corresponding critical point). The second new type of “spinodal decomposition” scenario is related to the situation when solid binodal of metastable melting (solidus) intersects spinodal of metastable isostructural crystal‐crystal phase transition. Modified one‐component Coulomb models allow one to investigate in details all features of such “spinodal decomposition” scenarios (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Structures and thermoelectric convection in cholesteric liquid crystals

The possibilities for excitation of electromagnetic field structures and convection cells, i.e., temperature and velocity structures, in a thermotropic cholesteric liquid crystal in the presence of flow are studied. Estimates are made and possible experiments for observing such structures are discussed. A special thermoelectric effect is investigated as the cause of these excitations — the influence of a heating-induced change in the pitch of the cholesteric helix of the molecules on the permittivity and the electric conductivity of the material. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 165–170 (January 1999)     

Model of spinodal decomposition of phases under hyperbolic diffusion

A model is proposed for the kinetics of spinodal decomposition at high diffusion rates described by a hyperbolic equation. The formation of new phases is described using a zero-radius nonlinear potential model. It is shown that a regular distribution in space of the phases during spinodal decomposition is initiated by suitable initial conditions for the concentration gradient with constant initial concentrations of the components. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 907–909 (May 1999)     

Laser-induced helical structure in the isotropic phase of nematic liquid crystal

We report on the first observation of laser-induced helical structure in the isotropic phase of a nematic liquid crystal. The helical structure was induced by two nearly counter-propagating waves circularly polarized in the same sense. Bragg reflection in the optical tunneling region was studied. We made an extensive investigation on the analogy between Bragg reflection from a cholesteric liquid crystal slab and four-wave mixing. It provides a deeper insight into the physics of the optical properties of cholesteric liquid crystal.     

Macroscopic behavior of non-polar tetrahedratic nematic liquid crystals

We discuss the symmetry properties and the macroscopic behavior of a nematic liquid crystal phase with D_2d symmetry. Such a phase is a prime candidate for nematic phases made from banana-shaped molecules where the usual quadrupolar order coexists with octupolar (tetrahedratic) order. The resulting nematic phase is nonpolar. While this phase could resemble the classic D _∞h nematic in the polarizing microscope, it has many static as well as reversible and irreversible properties unknown to nonpolar nematics without octupolar order. In particular, there is a linear gradient term in the free energy that selects parity leading to ambidextrously helical ground states when the molecules are achiral. In addition, there are static and irreversible coupling terms of a type only met otherwise in macroscopically chiral liquid crystals, e.g. the ambidextrous analogues of Lehmann-type effects known from cholesteric liquid crystals. We also discuss the role of hydrodynamic rotations about the nematic director. For example, we show how strong external fields could alter the D_2d symmetry, and describe the non-hydrodynamic aspects of the dynamics, if the two order structures, the nematic and the tetrahedratic one, rotate relative to each other. Finally, we discuss certain nonlinear aspects of the dynamics related to the non-commutativity of three-dimensional finite rotations as well as other structural nonlinear hydrodynamic effects.     

On the stability of homogeneous orientation in the plane-parallel cell of a liquid crystal doped with nanoparticles

We consider the problems of homogenous orientations stability of molecules in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) doped with a small amount of cholesteric LC. We studied LC cells with homeotropic and twisted orientation of molecules on the cell boundaries. The problems are solved using the Noether theorem for LC. According to this theorem, invariance of free energy expression with respect to translation leads to conservation of the momentum flux, while invariance with respect to the rotation group leads to conservation of the angular momentum flux. These conservation laws are used to determine thresholds of stability of homogenous orientation of molecules in the above-mentioned mixture and the influence of nanoparticles on these thresholds.