scholarly journals Emergence and stabilization of transient twisted defect structures in confined achiral liquid crystals at a phase transition.

Soft Matter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose X Velez ◽  
Zhaofei Zheng ◽  
Daniel A. Beller ◽  
Francesca Serra
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Capillary Tube ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Defect Structures

Spontaneous emergence of chirality is a pervasive theme in soft matter. We report a transient twist forming in achiral nematic liquid crystals confined to a capillary tube with square cross...

Molecular Ordering in Nematic MBCA and EPAPU

1990 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-32
Author(s):  
S. Sreehari Sastry ◽  
V. Venkata Rao ◽  
P. Narayana Murty ◽  
G. Satyanandam ◽  
T. F. Sundar Raj
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Order Parameter ◽  
Nematic Phase ◽  
Spin Probe ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Experimental Techniques ◽  
First Order ◽  
Molecular Ordering

AbstractBy EPR, two nematic liquid crystals (MBCA and EPAPU) were investigated using a steroidal nitroxide spin probe. In both liquid crystals the isotropic-nematic phase transition is of first order. The observed variation of the order parameter with temperature is compared with predictions from the Maier-Saupe and Humphries-James-Luckhurst models and with results obtained by several other experimental techniques.

scholarly journals Beam splitting in chiral nematic liquid crystals

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Filip Sala
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystal ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Beam Propagation Method ◽  
Beam Propagation ◽  
Optical Solitons ◽  
Molecular Reorientation ◽  
Chiral Nematic

By lunching the beam into the chiral nematic liquid crystals it is possible to achieve a non-diffractive beam similar to a soliton. This effect is caused by the molecular reorientation i.e. nonlinear response of the material forming the areas of higher refractive index. Diffraction is suppressed by the focusing effect. For appropriate launching conditions it is also possible to achieve a beam which splits into two or more separate beams. Such phenomenon is discussed in this article and analyzed theoretical. To model this effect Fully Vectorial Beam Propagation Method coupled with the Frank-Oseen elastic theory is used. Simulations are performed for various input beam powers, widths, polarization angles and launching positions. Full Text: PDF ReferencesG. Assanto and M. A. Karpierz, "Nematicons: self-localised beams in nematic liquid crystals", Liq. Cryst. 36, 1161–1172 (2009) CrossRef G. Assanto, Nematicons: Spatial Optical Solitons in Nematic Liquid Crystals, John Wiley & Sons Inc. Hoboken, New Jersey (2013) DirectLink A. Piccardi, A. Alberucci, U. Bortolozzo, S. Residori, and G. Assanto, "Soliton gating and switching in liquid crystal light valve", Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 071104 (2010). CrossRef D. Melo, I. Fernandes, F. Moraes, S. Fumeron, and E. Pereira, "Thermal diode made by nematic liquid crystal", Phys. Lett. A 380, 3121 – 3127 (2016). CrossRef U. Laudyn, M. Kwaśny, F. A. Sala, M. A. Karpierz, N. F. Smyth, G. Assanto, "Curved optical solitons subject to transverse acceleration in reorientational soft matter", Sci. Rep. 7, 12385 (2017) CrossRef M. Kwaśny, U. A. Laudyn, F. A. Sala, A. Alberucci, M. A. Karpierz, G. Assanto, "Self-guided beams in low-birefringence nematic liquid crystals", Phys. Rev. A 86, 013824 (2012) CrossRef F. A. Sala, M. M. Sala-Tefelska, "Optical steering of mutual capacitance in a nematic liquid crystal cell", J. Opt. Soc. Am. B. 35, 133-139 (2018) CrossRef U. A. Laudyn, A. Piccardi, M. Kwasny, M. A. Karpierz, G. Assanto, "Thermo-optic soliton routing in nematic liquid crystals", Opt. Lett. 43, 2296-2299 (2018) CrossRef F. A. Sala, M. M. Sala-Tefelska, M. J. Bujok, J. "Influence of temperature diffusion on molecular reorientation in nematic liquid crystals", Nonlinear Opt. Phys. Mater. 27, 1850011 (2018) CrossRef I-C Khoo Liquid crystals John Wiley & Sons, Inc (2007) DirectLink P. G. de Gennes, J. Prost, The Physics of Liquid Crystals, Clarendon Press (1995) DirectLink U. A. Laudyn, P. S. Jung, M. A. Karpierz, G. Assanto, "Quasi two-dimensional astigmatic solitons in soft chiral metastructures", Sci. Rep. 6, 22923 (2016) CrossRef J. Beeckman, A. Madani, P. J. M. Vanbrabant, P. Henneaux, S-P. Gorza, M. Haelterman, "Switching and intrinsic position bistability of soliton beams in chiral nematic liquid crystals", Phys. Rev. A 83, 033832 (2011) CrossRef A. Madani, J. Beeckman, K. Neyts, "An experimental observation of a spatial optical soliton beam and self splitting of beam into two soliton beams in chiral nematic liquid crystal", Opt. Commun. 298–299, 222-226, (2013) CrossRef G. D. Ziogos, E. E. Kriezis, "Modeling light propagation in liquid crystal devices with a 3-D full-vector finite-element beam propagation method", Opt. Quant. Electron 40, 10 (2008) CrossRef F. A. Sala, M. A. Karpierz, "Chiral and nonchiral nematic liquid-crystal reorientation induced by inhomogeneous electric fields", J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 29, 1465-1472 (2012) CrossRef F. A. Sala, M. A. Karpierz, "Modeling of molecular reorientation and beam propagation in chiral and non-chiral nematic liquid crystals", Opt. Express 20, 13923-13938 (2012) CrossRef F. A. Sala, "Design of false color palettes for grayscale reproduction", Displays, 46, 9-15 (2017) CrossRef

scholarly journals Gradient theory of domain walls in thin, nematic liquid crystals films

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (07) ◽  
pp. 1950063
Author(s):  
Marcel G. Clerc ◽  
Michał Kowalczyk ◽  
Panayotis Smyrnelis
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
External Field ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystal ◽  
Domain Walls ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Gradient Theory ◽  
Crystal Sample ◽  
Bistable Region

In this paper, we describe domain walls appearing in a thin, nematic liquid crystal sample subject to an external field with intensity close to the Fréedericksz transition threshold. Using the gradient theory of the phase transition adapted to this situation, we show that depending on the parameters of the system, domain walls occur in the bistable region or at the border between the bistable and the monostable region.

Critical behavior near the uniaxial-to-biaxial phase transition in nematic liquid crystals

1983 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 505-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Cajas ◽  
Jack B. Swift ◽  
Helmut R. Brand
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Critical Behavior ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals
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