Optical measurement of flexoelectric polarisation change in liquid crystals doped with bent-core molecules using hybrid-aligned structure

We proposed an optical measurement method for determination of flexoelectric polarisation change in liquid crystals (LCs), which can be induced in highly distorted LC geometries. A hybrid-aligned nematic LC (NLC) mode was introduced to evaluate the direction and magnitude of the flexoelectric polarisation. We measured the DC offset amounts for equivalent brightness levels between forward and reverse bias vertical electric fields to estimate the sign and magnitude of e_s?e_b of flexoelectric coefficients. Additionally, the optical incident angle (α_max) for the maximum effective birefringence was investigated to predict the depth distribution of the LC director affecting the magnitude of the flexoelectric polarisation. The relationship between the variations of the DC offset and α_max by the flexoelectric polarisation changes was examined using the NLC mixtures doped with three selected bent-core LCs.     

液晶盒中挠曲电效应的计算

负性液晶MBBA在液晶盒中垂面排列,沿面外加电场后产生挠曲电效应.基于液晶弹性理论研究这一效应,基于变分理论得到了液晶指向矢满足的微分方程及边界条件.应用差分迭代方法进行了数值求解.在小角度近似下,得到了指向矢分布的解析解,与数值解和专著结果进行了比较.     

FLEXOELECTRIC INSTABILITY IN NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTAL BETWEEN COAXIAL CYLINDERS

Abstract

The stability of the equilibrium configurations of a nematic liquid crystal confined between two coaxial cylinders is analysed when a radial electric field is applied and the flexoelectric effect is taken into account. The threshold for perturbations depending only on the radius r in the cylindrical coordinate system and strong boundary conditions is studied. A new type of orientational transition caused by pure flexoelectric effect is found.     

液晶表面物理——挠曲电效应研究及进展

向列液晶的“挠曲电效应”在1969年由Meyer首先提出,30年后这一理论才被重视.文章回顾了挠曲电效应的研究历程,总结了已取得的成果,并就挠曲电研究中的基础问题、研究进展、研究现状及存在的问题进行了系统的介绍,为从事此方面研究的工作者提供参考.     

Numerical investigation of influence of ionic space charge and flexoelectric polarization on measurements of elastic constants in nematic liquid crystals

Deformations of nematic layers caused by magnetic field allow determination of the elastic constants of liquid crystal. In this paper, we simulated numerically the deformations of planar and homeotropic nematic layers. The flexoelectric properties of the nematic and presence of ions were taken into account. Our aim was to show the influence of flexoelectricity on the results of the real measurement of the elastic constants k₃₃ and k₁₁. In these simulations, we calculated the optical phase difference ΔΦ between the ordinary and extraordinary rays of light passing through the layer placed between crossed polarizers as a function of the magnetic field induction B. One of the elastic constants can be calculated from the magnetic field threshold for deformation. The ratio k₃₃/k₁₁ can be found by means of fitting theoretical ΔΦ(B) dependence to the experimental results. The calculations reveal that the flexoelectric properties influence the deformations induced by the external magnetic field. In the case of highly pure samples, this may lead to false results of measurement of the elastic constants ratio k₃₃/k₁₁. This influence can be reduced if the nematic material contains ions of sufficiently high concentration. These results show that the flexoelectric properties may play an important role, especially in well purified samples.     

考虑挠曲电效应的薄板声学超材料隔声特性研究

区别于传统的压电效应,当结构尺寸减小到微纳米尺度时,一种新的力电耦合效应——挠曲电效应将无法被忽略. 该文利用变分原理推导了考虑挠曲电效应的薄板声学超材料结构隔声问题的控制方程和边界条件,基于Kirchhoff薄板理论预测了薄板质量块结构的隔声曲线,系统讨论了挠曲电效应、几何尺寸、质量密度等参数对结构隔声性能的影响. 结果表明,当结构尺寸减小到微纳米尺度时,挠曲电效应显著增加了隔声曲线的隔声谷值和峰值频率,因此考虑挠曲电效应是十分有必要的. 该文的工作有望为微机电系统的噪声控制研究提供理论基础.     

固体电介质中的挠曲电效应

挠曲电效应通常描述为非均匀变形如应变梯度引起的电极化或者电场梯度引起的变形.应变梯度能够局部破坏晶体的反演对称从而在材料中诱导电极化,因此挠曲电效应是固体电介质材料中普遍存在的一种力电耦合效应.应变梯度和电场梯度均随材料尺寸的减小而迅速增大,在宏观尺度通常被忽略的挠曲电效应在微纳尺度反而起着非常重要的作用,会显著影响材料的物理性能.与压电效应和电致伸缩效应相比,挠曲电效应具有独特的尺寸依赖特征,其不受材料对称性和铁电材料居里相变温度的限制.论文综述了固体电介质中的挠曲电效应,并重点从理论、材料和应用方面综述了固体电介质中挠曲电效应的研究进展,对挠曲电效应的独特性能进行了详细地讨论,最后论文展望了固体电介质中挠曲电效应相关研究的开放性问题和发展方向.