Influence of the anchoring energy on hysteresis at the Freedericksz transition in confined light beams in a nematic cell

Abstract

The influence of the finite value of a nematic director anchoring energy on the hysteresis of the light-induced Freedericksz transition induced by a normal incident linearly polarized one-dimensional bounded light beam is considered. The intensity distribution throughout the cross section of the beam is described by a Heaviside function. Values of the Freedericksz transition threshold and the director deviation angle jumps with increasing and decreasing incident light intensity are numerically obtained and are dependent on the director anchoring energy magnitude and the light beam cross section. Allowable regions of the light beam widths, anchoring energy values and values of the parameters , at which the Freedericksz transition is accompanied by hysteresis are determined.

Keywords:

• nematic liquid crystals
• light induced Freedericksz transition
• hysteresis of light induced Freedericksz transition
• anchoring energy

Acknowledgement

The authors express gratitude to Professor I.P. Pinkevich for useful observations in the discussion of the results.