Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals Science and Technology. Section A. Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, Vol.304, 47-58, 1997
Configuration Transitions of Nematic Droplets in Pdlc
A general equilibrium equation, including the saddle-splay elastic constant K-24, of director configurations of nematic droplets in PDLC with weak homeotropic anchoring is obtained. Numerical simulation shows that : 1) A transition from the axial structure to the bipolar structure occurs at certain threshold value of the ratio of the anchoring strength sigma and the electric field strength xi; 2) A nearly homogeneous orientation of the directors occurs when sigma/xi decreases to a certain value; 3) Increasing sigma/xi can induce a transition from the radial structure to the axial structure; 4) K-24 is insensitive to both the radial structure and the axial structure. Optical patterns of droplets with different configurations viewed under polarized optical microscope were also simulated. The numerical method used in the present work is different from that used in previous works and maybe useful in case of more complex boundary conditions.
Keywords:PHASE-TRANSITION;LIQUID-CRYSTALS