Thermodielectric bistability in dual frequency nematic liquid crystal.
We report on a thermodielectric bistability in dual frequency nematic liquid crystals (LCs) caused by the anisotropic nature of dielectric heating and director reorientation in an electric field. The bistability is a result of the positive feedback loop: director reorientation --> anisotropic dielectric heating --> dielectric anisotrophy --> director reorientation. We demonstrate both experimentally and theoretically that two states with different temperature and director orientation, namely, a cold planar state and a hot homeotropic state coexist in a LC cell for a certain frequency and amplitude range of the applied voltage.
Yin
Y
Y
Chemical Physics Interdisplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
Shiyanovskii
S V
SV
Lavrentovich
O D
OD
D003080:Cold Temperature; D004560:Electricity; D006361:Heating; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics