Fundamental Research on Development of Liquid Crystalline Micro-Actuator

Abstract

As a purpose of developing new micro-actuator driven by the liquid crystal flow, transient behaviors of a nematic liquid crystal between two parallel plates are computed with parameter of twist angle. The Frank and Leslie-Ericksen theory were used. When the twist angle is 0 deg, the induced flow is planar, and when the twist angle is not 0 deg, the flow has a out of plane component. The twist angle has little effect to the time characteristics of the flow. In the experiment, the applied voltage of 5 was used, and the results are in agreement with the calculation results.