Optical Textures and Orientational Structures of Nematic and Cholesteric Droplets with Heterogeneous Boundary Conditions

Abstract

Brief review of the orientational structures within the droplets of chiral as well as achiral nematics with the heterogeneous boundary conditions is reported. The modification of boundary conditions in the 5CB/polyvinylbutyral and LN-396/cholesterylacetate/polyvinylbutyral compositions with the planar anchoring at the interface is created by addition of the homeotropic surfactant (lecithin). Sequences of the novel stable and non-stable orientational structures being realized within the droplets of achiral nematic are presented. For the LN-396 nematic droplets doped by cholesterylacetate the formation of a spherulite structure has been shown when the tangential surface anchoring is modified to the homeotropic one.

Keywords:

• director configuration
• interfaces
• nematic and cholesteric droplets
• surfactant

Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by the grants of DSP, No 2.1.1.1814; RFBR, No 08-03-01007; Council of the President of the RF for Support of Young Scientists and Leading Scientific Schools (projects NSh-3818-2008.3, MK-3624.2007.2); RAS, No 8.1, 2.10.2; SB RAS, No 33.