V. S. Sutormin

Electro-optical response of an ionic-surfactant-doped nematic cell with homeoplanar–twisted configuration transition [Invited]

This study is concerned with the optical response of an electro-optical material consisting of nematic liquid crystal as well as ionic surfactant as a dopant. The dopant is a key component to carry out the working of the resulting device through configuration switching. The operational principle is based on the surface anchoring transition induced by a steady electric field. The dynamic characteristics of the electro-optical cell can be considerably improved when the nematic layer is reoriented from the initially homeoplanar director configuration into the twisted state. Besides, a method to shorten the relaxation time is demonstrated by using a controlling pulse with a bipolar waveform.

Electrically controlled local Frédericksz transition in a layer of a nematic liquid crystal

A local Frédericksz transition caused by electrically controlled surface anchoring in a nematic liquid crystal has been implemented owing to the displacement of surface-active ions. In the initial case, the nematic is homeotropically aligned by monomolecular layers of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide cations adsorbed on the surface of substrates. One of the substrates in a static electric field becomes free of a cation layer and specifies planar boundary conditions; as a result, a homeoplanar orientation structure is formed. The features of the dynamics of the optical response of the cell under study that are characteristic of the effect under consideration are discussed.

Orientational transition in the cholesteric layer induced by electrically controlled ionic modification of the surface anchoring

ABSTRACT A reorientation of cholesteric liquid crystal with a large helix pitch induced by the electrically controlled ionic modification of the surface anchoring has been studied. In initial state, the cholesteric helix is untwisted completely owing to the normal surface anchoring specified by the cations adsorbed at the substrates. As a result, the homeotropic director configuration is observed within the cell. Under the action of DC electric field, one of the substrates becomes free from the layer of surface active cations, therefore, setting the planar surface anchoring. The latter, in turn, leads to the formation of the hybrid chiral structure. The threshold value and dynamic parameters have been estimated for this process as well as the range of control voltages, which do not allow the electrohydrodynamic instabilities. The twisted hybrid director configuration observed in the experiment has been analysed by means of the simulation of polarisation change of light propagating through the cholesteric layer with asymmetric (planar and homeotropic) surface anchoring on the cell substrates. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

The dynamics of the response of an electro-optic cell based on a nematic layer with controlled surface anchoring

We investigate the electrooptical characteristics of a cell based on a nematic liquid crystal layer controlled with the use of modification of the surface anchoring by an ionic surfactant. The inverse mode of the effect is used with the nematic oriented homeotropically in the initial state and transferring to the hybrid homeoplanar structure in an applied dc electric field. We consider the applied voltage dependences of the dynamic parameters of the optical response.

Electrically induced anchoring transition in nematics with small or zero dielectric anisotropy

ABSTRACT The orientational transitions induced by electrically controlled ionic modification of surface anchoring in liquid crystal cells based on the nematics with small or zero dielectric anisotropy Δε are considered. The type of director reorientation is shown to be independent of the sign of dielectric anisotropy and can be the same for the nematics with both negative and positive Δε. Besides, the orientational transition and corresponding switchable optical states do not depend on the Δε value and can be effectively realised even for the nematics with zero dielectric anisotropy. Graphical Abstract

Orientational structures in nematic droplets with conical boundary conditions

Oblate nematic droplets encapsulated in a polymer specifying conical boundary conditions have been considered. Calculations by the extended Frank elastic continuum approach show that a number of various structures can be formed in such droplets under the variation of their size. Polarizing optical microscopy studies of composite film samples confirm the results of calculation and demonstrate the formation of the following orientational structures in the considered system: (i) a radial-bipolar structure with a twisted hedgehog defect and two hyperbolic boojums, (ii) an axial-bipolar structure with a circular disclination and two radial boojums, and (iii) a structure with a hedgehog defect, a hyperbolic boojum, and a radial boojum. Such a diversity of possible topologies of droplets is due to a complex balance between the energies of elasticity of the director field, disclinations, and anchoring with the surface, which is ensured by conical boundary conditions.

Director configurations in nematic droplets with tilted surface anchoring

ABSTRACT The polymer dispersed nematic liquid crystal (LC) with the tilted surface anchoring has been studied. The droplet orientational structures with two point surface defects – boojums and the surface ring defect – are formed within the films. The director tilt angle α = 40° ± 4° at the droplet interface and LC surface anchoring strength Ws ~ 10–6 (J m−2) have been estimated. The bipolar axes within the studied droplets of oblate ellipsoidal form can be randomly oriented are oriented randomly relatively to the ellipsoid axes as opposed to the droplets with homeotropic and tangential anchoring. Graphical Abstract

Electrically induced anchoring transition in cholesteric liquid crystal cells with different confinement ratios

ABSTRACT Reorientation of cholesteric liquid crystal induced by the electrically controlled ionic modification of surface anchoring within the cell with confinement ratio exceeding 1 has been studied. The change of homeotropic surface anchoring to the planar one on the electrode-anode substrate under the action of DC voltage causes the formation of the modulated hybrid-aligned cholesteric layer in the cell. Optical texture of the liquid crystal layer with such an orientation structure is the linear periodic stripes. Homogeneity of emerging optical texture depending on the confinement ratio as well as on the prehistory of voltage application has been considered. It has been found that the ionic modification of surface anchoring results in total transformation of the diffraction pattern observed after the laser beam passing through the sample. Graphical Abstract

Transformation of cholesteric orientational structures and optical textures induced by the electric field–driven ionic modification of surface anchoring

The reorientation of a cholesteric liquid crystal with a large helical pitch induced by the electric field–driven modification of surface anchoring is investigated. In the initial state, the liquid crystal cell has a homeotropic alignment of the director. An applied dc electric field produced a twisted homeoplanar structure of the cholesteric.

Liquid crystal materials with ionic-surfactant operation

A conceptually new approach for developing methods of control of liquid crystals is discussed. The approach is based on modifying surface anchoring. A brief review of the authors’ research on developing ionic-surfactant control of liquid crystalline materials is described. This approach is based on the effect of electrically induced modification of the boundary conditions by ions of surface-active compounds.