title: Zig-zag wall lattice in a nematic liquid crystal with an in-plane switching configuration.
abstract: Liquid crystals displays with tailoring electrodes exhibit complex spatiotemporal dynamics when a large voltage is applied. We report experimental observations of the appearance of a programmable zig-zag lattice using an in-plane-switching cell filled with a nematic liquid crystal. Applying a small voltage to a wide range of frequencies, the system exhibits an Ising wall lattice. Increasing the voltage, this lattice presents a spatial instability generating an undulating wall lattice, and to higher voltages it becomes zig-zag type. Experimentally, we characterize the bifurcations and phase diagram of the wall lattice. Theoretically, we develop, from first principles, a descriptive model. This model has a good qualitative agreement with experimental observations.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 487-3, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Andrade-Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 487-3, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Clerc
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 487-3, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Odent
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D004548:Elasticity; D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes; D005898:Glass; D050866:Liquid Crystals; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D061848:Optical Imaging; D044367:Phase Transition; D014741:Video Recording; D014783:Viscosity