The Homeotropic Surface Anchoring Effects on the C-H Phase Transition

Abstract

Two simple models are introduced to explane the homeotropic surface anchoring effects on the cholesteric to homeotropic (C-H) phase transition in the absence of an applied field. The calculations are extended to include the effect of an external field perpendicular to the surfaces. The results predict the C-H phase transition with analytical expressions involving the product of cell thickness and inverse pitch.