Comparisons of the vector method and tensor method for simulating liquid crystal devices

In calculating the director configuration in a liquid crystal device, two methods are commonly employed: a vector model and a tensor model. In this paper, we compare and contrast these methods for liquid crystal devices consisting of a layer of liquid crystal sandwiched between two plates. We compare the reliability and accuracy of the results, the speed of computation and the complexity of implementations of each method.     

A study of the transition of liquid-crystal alignment from homeotropic to planar on a polyimide layer

The alignment of nematic liquid crystals by rubbed polyimide surfaces has been well-studied and developed. A novel polyimide film which induced a homeotropic alignment of the nematic liquid crystal without rubbing or with weak rubbing strength was presented. However, there was a transition from homeotropic to planar alignment of the nematic liquid crystal after strong rubbing. In order to study the transition, the polyimide surface was investigated by atomic force microscopy, surface free energy measurement and angle-resolved analysis X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy before and after rubbing with a velvet fabric. It was found that both the change of surface polarity and surface morphology were not the reasons for the transition. The droop of the side chain on the polyimide surface after the rubbing treatment was detected by angle-resolved analysis X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy. Owing to the special structure of the novel polyimide, the X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy was successfully used for the first time to analyse the conformational change of the side chain of a polymer. In conclusion, the transition of nematic liquid crystal alignment from homeotropic to planar after rubbing was influenced by the side chain conformation of the polyimide.     

Investigation on ion movement in the fringe-field switching mode depending on resistivity of alignment layer and dielectric anisotropic sign of liquid crystal

Adsorption and desorption of ions at interface between liquid crystal and alignment layer in liquid crystal displays play a crucial role in residual direct current voltage associated with image sticking. In this article, the dependency of such adsorption and desorption of ions on resistivity of alignment layer and sign of liquid crystal dielectric anisotropy in the fringe-field liquid crystal cell has been investigated. Our studies show that the time constant of ions during adsorption and desorption depends upon resistivity and dielectric constant of liquid crystal and alignment layer, and most strongly influenced by the resistivity of alignment layer such that the one with lower resistivity in two orders shows much faster adsorption and desorption at the interface than that of the one with higher resistivity.     

Ferroelectric liquid crystals from banana-shaped achiral molecules with vinyl end groups

Banana-shaped achiral compounds, the 1,3-phenylene bis[4-(alkenyloxyphenyliminomethyl)benzoate]s, were synthesized with varying length of the alkenyl group; their ferroelectric properties are described. The smectic mesophases, including a switchable chiral smectic C (SmC*) phase, were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy and the triangular wave method. The presence of vinyl groups at the ends of the linear side-wings in the banana-shaped achiral molecules, containing a Schiff's base mesogen, induced a decrease in melting temperature and formation of the switchable SmC* phase in the melt. The compound having the octenyloxy group exhibited a spontaneous polarization of 120 nC cm^?2 on reversal of an applied electric field.     

双层异构网络下多用户干扰对齐算法

针对多个毫微微蜂窝网络与宏蜂窝网络共存的网络环境,基于干扰对齐技术,提出了一种双层预编码方案,首先定义宏蜂窝网络对毫微微蜂窝网络造成的干扰为跨层干扰,毫微微蜂窝网络之间的干扰为同层干扰,分别对毫微微蜂窝用户和宏蜂窝用户进行预编码,宏蜂窝用户的预编码使得跨层干扰最小,使之可比拟于背景噪声,毫微微蜂窝用户的预编码与毫微微蜂窝基站的后置编码进行迭代,以最小均方误差(MMSE)准则输出,仿真结果表明所提算法使得毫微微蜂窝网络的吞吐量相较于单层MMSE算法在信噪比为0~30 d B区间内平均提高了3 bps/Hz.     

光谱偏振调制器的高精度装调方法

为了提高光谱偏振调制器的探测精度,提出了光谱偏振调制器的高精度装调方法。首先,分析了光谱偏振调制器的调制原理,提出了采用三片多级相位延迟器加线偏振器的装调方案;然后,建立了调制器装调的数理模型,设计了校准多级相位延迟器的厚度;最后,对成像过程进行了计算机仿真实验验证,并模拟了成像系统的装调过程。结果表明:利用该方法能够灵敏检测偏振器件间的微小相对旋转角度误差,可实现调制器的高精度装调,在输入本文设定的校准光谱条件下,绝对精度可达0.2°。该方法保留了传统光谱调制器充分利用通道带宽的优势,保证了复原光谱的分辨率,为强度调制型光谱偏振成像系统的精密装调提供了一定的理论参考。     

反应物振动量子数对O(~1D)+HBr→OH+Br立体动力学影响的研究

采用准经典轨线(QCT)方法计算了O(1D)+HBr→OH+Br反应体系的立体动力学反应.基于由Peterson(J.Chem.Phys.113(2000)4598)等人开发的基态势能面上,计算了反应的矢量相关性质,极角p(θ)r及方位角pφ()r以及空间角pθr,φ()r.此外我们还计算了极化微分反应截面(PDDCSs)的分布各矢量性质随各振动量子数变量的变化.结果表明反应受反应物振动量子数影响较大.     

Magnetically Aligned Supramolecular Hydrogels

The magnetic‐field‐induced alignment of the fibrillar structures present in an aqueous solution of a dipeptide gelator, and the subsequent retention of this alignment upon transformation to a hydrogel upon the addition of CaCl₂ or upon a reduction in solution pH is reported. Utilising the switchable nature of the magnetic field coupled with the slow diffusion of CaCl₂, it is possible to precisely control the extent of anisotropy across a hydrogel, something that is generally very difficult to do using alternative methods. The approach is readily extended to other compounds that form viscous solutions at high pH. It is expected that this work will greatly expand the utility of such low‐molecular‐weight gelators (LMWG) in areas where alignment is key.     

Bent-core liquid crystal-functionalised flexible polymer substrates for liquid crystal alignment

ABSTRACT

A transparent flexible polymer film is chemically functionalised with a bent-core liquid crystal (BCLC) compound for effective alignment of the bulk BCLC sample at the substrate–LC interface. The surface attachment was achieved via a simple procedure which involved pre-treatment of the polymer film (commercial name: over head projector film) using piranha solution followed by chemically attaching the BCLC compound through silane condensation reaction. Surface characterisation of the unmodified and BC-modified flexible films was carried out through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attenuated total reflectance fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, contact angle (CA) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. The BC-modified flexible substrates are analysed for their efficiency to orient the bulk LC sample. Remarkably, the chemically modified polymer substrates are highly efficient in vertically aligning both the BC and rod-like LC samples at the substrate–LC interface, in comparison to their unmodified counterparts. The described method is simple, reproducible, surface modified substrates are highly stable and more importantly reusable. The demonstrated method for the alignment of BCLCs advances a step forward towards the realisation of applications proposed for these fascinating compounds.     

Aligning retention time shifts in HPLC three‐dimensional spectra by icoshift approach combined with data arrangement methods and the release of a graphical user interface

High‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection has been extensively applied in many fields and the peaks among the analyzed samples can be shifted due to the variations of instrumental and experimental conditions. In multivariate analysis, retention time alignment is an important pretreatment step. Hence, the shifted peaks in high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection three‐dimensional spectra should be aligned for further analysis. Being motivated by this purpose, the interval correlated shifting method combined with the proposed data arrangement methods are recommended and employed on high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection data as a demonstration. We validate the alignment performance of the proposed method through comparison the consistency of the retention time before and after alignment. The obtained results demonstrated that the proposed method is capable of successful aligning the employed data. Additionally, the interval correlated shifting method combined with the data arrangement modes is implemented in an easy‐to‐use graphical user interface environment and so can be operated easily by users not familiar with programming languages.