Anchoring Transitions in Biaxial Nematic Droplets: A Monte Carlo Study

Abstract

Equilibrium order parameters of a liquid crystal micro-droplet of biaxial molecules, with radial anchoring conditions at the boundary, are computed based on Monte Carlo simulations. Their spatial variation within the droplet, and their temperature dependence covering uniaxial and biaxial nematic phases, are reported as a function of the biaxiality parameter. Central core, known to form for minimizing the energy cost of the boundary-induced distortion at low curvature regions, is characterized from these studies by estimating its size and spatial variation of relevant order parameters. Anchoring induced configuration transition in biaxial phases, and its dependence on the biaxiality parameter are studied.

Keywords:

• Anchoring transitions
• biaxial nematics
• liquid crystal droplet
• Monte Carlo simulations

Acknowledgment

We thank the Centre for Modeling, Simulation and Design (CMSD) at the University of Hyderabad for providing computational facilities. BKL would like to thank the University Grants Commission for the award of a Research Fellowship through CAS/RFSMS Scheme.