Abstract
It is shown that three Frank elastic constants K1, K2 and K3 of a nematic liquid crystal can be determined by measuring the capacitance change with a magnetic field of a homogeneously aligned cell. The splay elastic constant K1 is determined from the threshold magnetic field strength Hc1 when the magnetic field is applied normal to the cell. The bend elastic constant K3 is determined from the slope of the linear dependence between the inverse of the capacitance 1/C and the inverse of the magnetic field strength 1/H in the high field region H/Hc1> 3. The twist elastic constant K2 is determined from the threshold field strength when the magnetic field is applied oblique to the cell normal but perpendicular to the initial director. In these procedures, principal dielectric constants ε//, ε⊥, dielectric anisotropy Δε, anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility Δχ can be determined simultaneously.
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