Freedericksz Transition in a Planar Nematic Cell and the Surfacelike Elastic Constant Problem

Abstract

On the basis Of local stability analysis We have studied how the splay-bend term, that is known as the K₁₃-term, influences Freedericksz transition in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) sandwiched between two parallel plates. Two casea are considered: (a) the homeotropic anchoring is favored at both walls and magnetic field is assumed to be parallel to the confining surfaces; (b) the boundary conditions are planar and the magnetic field is normal to the walls. Under certain conditions it if found that the splay-bend term can change the order of the Freedericksz transition. In particular, we encounter the bistability induced by the term.