Phase Transitions In Liquid Crystal Droplets

David W. Allender; Slobodan Zumer

doi:10.1117/12.976396

25 July 1989 Phase Transitions In Liquid Crystal Droplets

David W. Allender, Slobodan Zumer

Proceedings Volume 1080, Liquid Crystal Chemistry, Physics, and Applications; (1989) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.976396
Event: OE/LASE '89, 1989, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

Basic studies of a liquid crystal confined to a small droplet have been motivated by the use of polymer dispersed liquid crystals' for a new generation of light shutters and displays.2 The structure of such a droplet is characterized by a specific director configuration and the spatial dependence of the orientational order parameter. Depending on temperature, droplet size, surface interaction, type of liquid crystal and external field, the phase of the material enclosed in the droplet can be either the isotropic (paranematic), nematic or boundary layer nematic phase.3 Director configurations in droplets have been studied extensi% ely,4-7 but the spatial dependence of the order parameter has been treated only for the case of a liquid crystal in contact with a solid planar surface.3.8-10 Lsing the Landaude Gennes approach," the order parameter profile was evaluated, showing how the orientational order varies with distance from the planar surface. In addition, for some values of the surface-liquid crystal coupling, the existence of the boundary layer nematic phase was predicted in a narrow tem-perature range between the isotropic (paranematic) and nematic phases.3

Citation Download Citation

David W. Allender and Slobodan Zumer "Phase Transitions In Liquid Crystal Droplets", Proc. SPIE 1080, Liquid Crystal Chemistry, Physics, and Applications, (25 July 1989); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.976396

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