Landau theory-based estimates for viscosity coefficients of uniaxial and biaxial nematic liquid crystals

Abstract

Using Landau theory, it is shown that eight phenomenological parameters are needed to describe and distinguish the twelve viscosity coefficients of a biaxial nematic phase, or the five viscosity coefficients of a uniaxial nematic phase. The dependence of the coefficients on the macroscopic uniaxial and biaxial order parameters is established. Since these order parameters are determined by the anisotropies of the dielectric constant, we show that it should be possible to determine values for all eight of the phenomenological parameters of the theory from measurements of the temperature dependence of the five viscosities of a uniaxial phase.

Keywords:

• viscosity coefficients
• uniaxial nematic
• biaxial nematic
• Landau–de Gennes theory

Acknowledgements

DWA and SMS thank Samsung Electronics Company for support in conducting this research.