Multistable alignment in free suspended nematic liquid crystal films.
Two different types of orientation were observed in free suspended nematic liquid crystal films. The alignment was either homeotropic or planar, depending on the time during which the film was cooling from the isotropic state to the liquid crystal one. It was shown that nucleation of defects makes planar orientation preferable.
Nazarenko
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Institute of Physics, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, 46 prospekt Nauki, 252650 Kyiv-22, Ukraine. vnazaren@iop.kiev.ua
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