title: Lattice Boltzmann scheme for modeling liquid-crystal dynamics: Zenithal bistable device in the presence of defect motion.
abstract: A lattice Boltzmann scheme is presented which recovers the dynamics of nematic and chiral liquid crystals; the method essentially gives solutions to the Qian-Sheng [Phys. Rev. E 58, 7475 (1998)] equations for the evolution of the velocity and tensor order-parameter fields. The resulting algorithm is able to include five independent Leslie viscosities, a Landau-deGennes free energy which introduces three or more elastic constants, a temperature dependent order parameter, surface anchoring and viscosity coefficients, flexoelectric and order electricity, and chirality. When combined with a solver for the Maxwell equations associated with the electric field, the algorithm is able to provide a full "device solver" for a liquid crystal display. Coupled lattice Boltzmann schemes are used to capture the evolution of the fast momentum and slow director motions in a computationally efficient way. The method is shown to give results in close agreement with analytical results for a number of validating examples. The use of the method is illustrated through the simulation of the motion of defects in a zenithal bistable liquid crystal device.
authors.affiliation: Materials and Engineering Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, S1 1WB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Care