Influence of azimuthal anchoring on the structure and range of occurrence of spontaneous periodic deformations in hybrid aligned nematic layers

Abstract

Periodic deformations spontaneously arising in hybrid aligned nematics are studied numerically. The so-called splay stripes are considered for material parameters close to those known for 5CB and for the saddle–splay elastic constant k ₂₄ values allowed by the Ericksen inequalities. The role of finite azimuthal anchoring on the planar boundary surface is investigated. The director distribution is determined for various azimuthal anchoring parameters. It is found that azimuthal anchoring suppresses the periodic deformations, damping their amplitude and decreasing all the parameter ranges for which the stripes exist. For the material constants considered, this effect is more pronounced for stripes which are realized for a negative k ₂₄ elastic constant, than for stripes arising if k ₂₄>0.