Analytical and computer simulation study of molecular ordering of a liquid-crystalline system in annular confinements

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the thermodynamical behavior of a nematic liquid crystal sample confined to an annular cylindrical region and subjected to a radial anchoring alignment at the cylinder surfaces. The study is carried out by means of a combination of Monte Carlo simulations and of a theoretical approach based on the Landau–de Gennes formalism. The analytical model shows that the order instabilities cover the whole sample, while from the computer simulation one deduces that these instabilities are evident in a region far from the surfaces while some order remain close to them, and decreases more slowly as the temperature increases.