title: Optical imaging of the effect of in-plane fields on cholesteric liquid crystals.
abstract: The effects of in-plane electric fields on the director structure of cholesteric liquid crystals has been imaged in three dimensions using fluorescence confocal polarizing microscopy. The results show that a liquid crystal lying outside the electrode gap can be significantly affected by stray fields occurring above the electrode surface, resulting in a 90 degrees rotation of the cholesteric helix. Distinct differences between the behavior of cholesterics with positive and negative dielectric anisotropies are observed.
authors.affiliation: Thin Film Photonics Group, School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jewell
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sambles