Flexoelectric polarization and second order elasticity for nematic liquid crystals

The flexoelectric properties of nematic liquid crystals are analysed. It is shown that in the frame of the usual elasticity two coefficients characterize completely the flexoelectric properties of the liquid crystal. These coefficients, in the limit of small scalar order parameter, i.e. near the clearing point, are approximately equal. More precisely they have the same linear term in the scalar order parameter, and differ for terms quadratic in this parameter. Their difference behaves, hence, as the usual nematic liquid crystal elastic constants, whereas their sum depends on the temperature, like the mixed splay-bend elastic constant. It is shown furthermore that in the frame of a second order elastic theory in the flexoelectric polarization there are no terms from the second order spatial derivatives of the nematic director, or the nematic tensor order parameter. Consequently also in the frame of the second order elasticity the flexoelectric polarization is given by the usual expression. This conclusion is important in connection with the surface polarization recently discovered in pretilted nematic liquid crystal samples.     

Postpulse molecular alignment measured by a weak field polarization technique

We report a direct nonintrusive observation of alignment and planar delocalization of CO2 after an intense linearly polarized femtosecond laser pulse excitation. The effects are measured by a polarization technique involving a perturbative probe that itself does not induce appreciable alignment. We show that this technique allows one to measure a signal proportional to -1/3, with theta the angle between the molecular axis and the laser polarization. Simulations that support this analysis allow one to characterize the experimentally observed alignment and planar delocalization quantitatively.     

Behavior of nematic liquid crystals in a variable magnetic field

The behavior of nematic liquid crystals in a magnetic field having a static and a rotating component is investigated. Steady-state solutions of the problem (synchronous regime) are obtained, and their stability is analyzed. The influence of the boundary conditions is discussed, along with possible experimental applications. It is shown that the static component of the magnetic field extends the stability range of the synchronous regime.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 4, pp. 57–60, April, 1981.     

Paramagnetic nematic liquid crystals

The paper reports new nematic liquid crystals that are paramagnetic.     

Coherent backscattering in nematic liquid crystals in an external magnetic field

We consider multiple light scattering in a nematic liquid crystal. Using the Monte Carlo method, we calculate for the first time the effect of a magnetic field on the shape of the peak of coherent backscattering taking into account the long-range action of fluctuations of the orientational order and anisotropy of the scattering length. For a small number of initial and final scattering events, we take into account the ordinary mode of light, which is weakly scattered in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC), whereas a strongly scattered extraordinary mode is taken into account for all scattering events. For simplicity, we use a single-constant approximation of the NLC elastic moduli. We show that the angular shape of the peak of coherent backscattering remains nearly unchanged, whereas the magnetic field and the scattering phase function vary by several orders of magnitude.     

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.     

Separated local field spectroscopy of columnar and nematic liquid crystals

We are in this work comparing the efficiencies of various 1H-13C separated local field (SLF) experiments when applied to columnar and nematic liquid crystals. In particular, the performances of the conventional SLF, proton-detected local field (PDLF), and polarization inversion spin exchange at the magic angle (PISEMA) methods in terms of spectral resolution, robustness, and ability to measure long-range couplings are investigated. The PDLF sequence provides in most cases the best dipolar resolution. This is especially obvious for weakly coupled 1H-13C spin pairs.     

Electroconvection in homeotropic nematic liquid crystals

Electroconvection is a classical example of pattern-forming phenomena in liquid crystals, typically observed in nematics with negative dielectric and positive conductivity anisotropies. This article focuses on how electroconvection in the homeotropic geometry differs from that in planar alignment. The influence of an additional magnetic field on the pattern characteristics and on secondary instabilities (the normal roll–abnormal roll transition) is discussed. The homeotropic alignment offers unique possibilities also for studying defect motion. Basic characteristics of some patterns of large wavelength are presented and compared with those of the classical Carr–Helfrich structures. Finally, electroconvection in substances with negative conductivity anisotropy is addressed.     

Bistability in dual-frequency nematic liquid crystals

Different modes of bistable switching in liquid crystals with frequency inversion of the dielectric anisotropy sign are discussed. The study is performed by numerical simulation and experimentally. It is shown that dual frequency driving can be effectively used to control switching between topologically equivalent and non-equivalent director field distributions. The experimental results on temperature performance of the dual-frequency switching and possible driving methods for energy consumption and expanding the temperature range are presented.     

Photoinduced effects in nematic liquid crystals

Temperature, concentration of the solvent and pressure are the parameters that are well known to bring about phase transitions in liquid-crystalline systems. In recent years a new parameter has been added to this list: light. The principle behind these photoinduced transitions is the light-driven shape transformation of certain photoactive materials like, e.g., azobenzene. In this article, we present results of various aspects of our recent investigations on such photoinduced transitions in the nematic phase and highlight the feature that light is a new tool to study phase transitions and the associated critical phenomena.     

One- and two-dimensional deformations in nematic liquid crystals: Influence of the flexoelectric polarization

Summary The elastic deformations in nematic liquid crystals are analysed in one and two dimensions. The influence of the flexoelectric polarization on the elastic properties of the medium is studied. It is shown that for one-dimensional deformations, the presence of the flexoelectric polarization introduces a renormalization of the elastic constants. On the contrary in the bidimensional case, the effect of the flexoelectricity is not a simple renormalization of the elastic constants. The profiles of the electric potential and of the tilt angle are evaluated for the cases in which the substrate is an insulating or conducting material. The validity of the calculations is discussed by considering the value of Debye's screening length of the nematic liquid crystal.     

Thermomechanical reorientation in nematic liquid crystals

Thermomechanical mechanism of the director reorientation in twisted nematic liquid crystals caused by the one-dimensional longitudinal temperature gradient is predicted and studied theoretically. The calculated director reorientations are in the range that can be measured experimentally very easily.     

End-chain ordering in nematic liquid crystals

The ordering of hydrocarbon end-chains in nematic liquid crystals has been calculated by numerical summation over all chain configurations in the molecular field. The results, used in a self-consistent calculation of the orientational ordering for the full system, explain the variation of the isotropic-nematic transition temperatures (including the even-odd effect) and transition entropies with end-chain length.     

Orientational dynamics in nematic liquid crystals

We examine the behaviour of single-particle orientational time correlation functions in nematic liquid crystals. As well as the expected dynamics involving oscillation in a mean-field potential, and occasional jumps between orientations parallel and antiparallel to the director, we provide the first simulation evidence of long-time tails characteristic of coupling to director fluctuations.     

Hexagonal arrays in nematic liquid crystals

In this letter observations are reported which were carried out by diffraction of a laser beam, by polar diagrams of the diffracted light and by optical microscopy, being performed on a hexagonal structure which appears in nematic liquid crystals for a twist geometry.     

Pretransitional behaviour in nematic liquid crystals

A simple (four sites on the water molecule) potential for Cl^-/H₂O has been generated from six gradient calculations. The potential is in reasonable agreement with the extensive SCF calculations of Dacre.     

Thermotropic biaxial nematic liquid crystals

We have synthesized liquid crystal (LC) mesogens based on a nonlinear oxadiazole unit that exhibit nematic phases near 200 degrees C. Polarized microscopy and conoscopy indicate that these LCs are biaxial nematics. Unambiguous and quantitative evidence for biaxiality is achieved using 2H NMR spectroscopy. "2D powder" spectra, obtained by rotating 2H-labeled samples about an axis perpendicular to the magnetic field at approximately 200 Hz, yield phase biaxiality parameters of approximately 0.1 when coupled with rigorous and proven simulations.