Electro-optic effects in blue phases

Abstract

A theory of electro-optic and elasto-optic effects in the blue phases of cholesteric liquid crystals is developed. The case of small structure deformations and a weak field is considered: |E| ? E _c, where E _e is the critical field for the cholesteric-nematic transition. The theory explains all of the main experimental facts: the field-induced birefringence and biaxiality, the distortion of the cubic structure (electrostriction) and the orientation of the blue phase monocrystals in an electric field.