Electrically Induced Structural Transformations of a Chiral Nematic under Tangential-Conical Boundary Conditions

Abstract

In this study, structural transformations induced by an electric field in the chiral nematic under tangential-conical boundary conditions have been considered. The composition influence of the orienting polymer films on the director tilt angles, the formation of orientational structures in the LC layer, as well as the electro-optical response and relaxation processes have been studied. It has been shown that the poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) concentration change in the orienting polymer mixture allows for smoothly controlling the director tilt angle without fixing its azimuthal orientation rigidly.

Keywords

• chiral nematic
• cholesteric
• conical anchoring
• polymethacrylate
• director tilt angle
• electrically induced transformation