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Abstract
A two-dimensional theoretical model of the helical structure and dechiralisation lines formed inside a planar aligned ferroelectric liquid crystal device is presented, with particular emphasis on the effect of different types of interaction between adjacent layers. It is observed that by changing from a potential that favours synclinic ordering only, to one that favours both synclinic or anticlinic ordering equally has a significant impact on the nature of the dechiralisation lines formed and the stability of the helical structure against surface stabilisation.
Acknowledgements
LPJ would like to thank the Royal Society for financial support.
Notes
In more complete models of polar anchored smectic devices, a polarisation self interaction term is included which disfavours gradients in the spontaneous polarisation. The effect of this term is to cause φ to be close to either π/2 or 3π/2 for the bulk of the device, with a rapid distortion to meet the boundary conditions near the surfaces Citation8.