Surface polarization and effective anchoring energy in liquid crystals.
The influence of the surface polarization (SP) on the effective anchoring energy for both homeotropic and planar alignments of polar liquid crystals at a solid substrate is discussed from the energy point of view. It is shown that in a certain range of surface charge density the destabilizing SP mechanism may lead to destruction of the homeotropic or planar alignment of liquid crystalline molecules, such as 4-n-pentyl-4(')-cyanobiphenyl.
Zakharov
A V
AV
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada R7A 6A9.
Dong
R Y
RY