Field-Induced Orientational Transitions in a Nematic with Chiral Dopant

Abstract

In the nematic cell with chiral dopant and homeotropic anchoring can exist the next one-dimensional distributions of the director: 1) homeotropic, with the director normal to the plates; 2) twisted with tilted orientation of the director; 3) twisted with the director parallel to the surfaces. Stability analysis shows that the transitions might occur between these distributions. The dimensionless parameters controlling the director field are the ratio of the pitch of the twisted nematic structure to the cell thickness and ratio of the cell thickness to the extrapolation length of the nematic material.

Key Words:

• liquid crystals
• stability
• chiral nematic