Frustrated lattice orientation of cholesteric blue phase II induced by micro-patterned surface alignment

Abstract

We investigated the lattice orientation behavior of cholesteric blue phase II on a stripe-patterned surface, on which the orientational easy axis of the adjacent region changes discontinuously. The lattice orientation depends on the patterned-region size when the easy axes of the adjacent patterns are orthogonal to each other. For the large regional period, the (110) lattice planes are parallel to the substrates, and the [001] axes within each region are aligned along the corresponding easy axes, whereas for a small period, owing to the orientational frustration caused by the elastic strain, the (100) planes are uniform regardless of the pattern.