Temperature Dependence of Polar Anchoring Strength of Nematic Liquid Crystal Aligned on Rubbed Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Polymer

Abstract

We have investigated the temperature dependence of the polar anchoring strength of nematic liquid crystal aligned homogeneously on glass substrates treated with side chain liquid crystalline polymer poly (4-cyanophenyl-4′-ethoxybenzoyloxy) acrylate (LCP100). The polar anchoring strength of rubbed LCP100 films is seen to be quite strong and comparable to that of rubbed polyimide films. The temperature dependence of orientational extrapolation length failed to show a critical divergence instead a very small increase on approaching the N-I transition. This indicates that the surface order parameter is quite strong and hence the polar anchoring energy weakens quite gradually.