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Abstract
A new type of instability is studied, which was previously found to arise in nematic liquid crystals with negative dielectric anisotropy in the dielectric region, at a threshold voltage lower than the chevron threshold. The instability can be observed in the form of domains only between two polarizers. These domains may coexist with the chevrons, forming a complex optical pattern.
The dependence of the threshold voltage and of the domain period on various parameters is investigated. Striking similarities are found between this phenomenon and the electroconvective flow which reveals itself by the motion of dust particles. These similarities point towards the electroconvective nature of the observed domains, which hereafter will be referred to as electroconvective domains.