Anchoring Effects on the Layer Structures in Compressible Smectics

Abstract

In this work, let us investigate anchoring effects on the layer structure in compressible smectic phases. The layer anchoring force is taken into account in an analysis of the chevron layer structure in the smectic phase. Our numerical results show that the anchoring strength comparable to (elastic coefficient)/(penetration length) is enough to orient the molecules at the boundary to such a preferred direction as the SiO columns evaporated on the bounding plates. In a weak anchoring limit, the present result is reduced to the previous one corresponding to the chevron layer structure. In a strong anchoring limit with a small pretilt angle at the boundaries, however, a quasi bookshelf layer structure is found to be realised.