Electric field induced order reconstruction in a nematic cell

Barberi, R. and Ciuchi, F. and Durand, G.E. and Iovane, M. and Sikharulidze, D. and Sonnet, A.M. and Virga, E.G. (2004) Electric field induced order reconstruction in a nematic cell. European Physical Journal E - Soft Matter, 13 (1). pp. 61-71. ISSN 1292-8941 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1140/epje/e2004-00040-5)

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Abstract

We have experimentally observed the biaxial switching between two topologically distinct textures of a nematic liquid crystal cell submitted to a strong electric field. The effect is deduced from optical and electrical measurements across the cell. Above a static threshold, a bulk order reconstruction is observed, where the final nematic orientation in the centre becomes perpendicular to its initial one, inducing a total change of orientation across the cell. Using short electric field pulses, a higher dynamical threshold is observed. These experiments are explained by a Landau-de Gennes-Khalatnikov model. The threshold implies the local exchange of two eigenvalues of the nematic order tensor through intermediate biaxial states. The onset of the effect in a thin splay-bend wall decreases the static threshold by almost an order of magnitude. The model explains reasonably well the static and dynamic measurements within the present description of nematic biaxiality.

ORCID iDs

Barberi, R., Ciuchi, F., Durand, G.E., Iovane, M., Sikharulidze, D., Sonnet, A.M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2583-7897 and Virga, E.G.;
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