Abstract
The homogeneous nematic layers in liquid crystal cells with treated surfaces are affected by orientational transitions in the electric, magnetic, or temperature fields. The liquid crystal structures formed on solid or liquid surfaces find limited application in identifying the liquid-crystal states by the textures observed in polarized light. The use of surfaces prepared from polymer solutions makes it possible to significantly broaden the range of application of the liquid crystal structures. We investigate the structures with the continuous transformation of the nematic director orientation from radial to planar, which were formed by the polycarbonate surface in the presence of different residual solvents. The structures contained the disclination lines that aligned either by a plate rubbed to provide the homogeneous planar orientation in the LC layer or by a magnetic field applied along the polycarbonate film during the structure formation. The orientational transitions caused by surface treatment, temperature, and electric or magnetic fields in these structures are observed. The comparison of temperature critical distance as well as electric and magnetic coherence lengths with equilibrium length calculated from the expression for the free energy of the nematic is performed. The electro-optical characteristics of the nematic structures are obtained.
Highlights
Alignment of liquid crystals by polymers with residual amounts of solvents Alexander M
The structures contained the disclination lines that aligned either by a plate rubbed to provide the homogeneous planar orientation in the Liquid crystals (LCs) layer or by a magnetic field applied along the polycarbonate film during the structure formation
Upon adsorption of nematic molecules on polycarbonate (PC) macromolecules in the presence of a residual solvent, a domain network occurred on the polymer film and continuously transformed to the planar orientation over the nematic layer thickness[15]. We investigate such structures with the controlled director field distribution in the LC layer and a new nematic texture
Summary
Alignment of liquid crystals by polymers with residual amounts of solvents Alexander M. The homogeneous nematic layers in liquid crystal cells with treated surfaces are affected by orientational transitions in the electric, magnetic, or temperature fields. Liquid crystals (LCs) in plane-parallel cells confined by solid surfaces have the homogeneous planar or homeotropic orientation or form the structures[1,2,3,4,5,6] that can be observed as various textures. The homogeneous nematic layers formed in cells with treated surfaces are involved in the temperature- and field-induced orientational effects, including the Fredericks or local. The structures allow the LC states[3] to be identified via texture observation in polarized light The use of these structures in the orientational transitions is complicated by the uncontrollable conditions of director field distribution in an LC layer. The necessity in special preparation techniques and existence in the temperature range close to the nematic−isotropic liquid transition make these structures even more difficult to apply
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