Thermotropic nematic materials relax strong distortions by lowering the nematic order: theuniaxial symmetry is broken and is locally replaced by biaxial domains. We investigated the dynamicsof the nematic order near a boundary surface of an asymmetric pi-cell submitted to an external electricfield, close to the electric order reconstruction threshold. An unexpected phenomenon is observed close,but below the threshold: the biaxial order spreads on the surface inducing a consequent bulk topologicalbehaviour equivalent to the splay-bend fast transition allowed by order reconstruction at higher voltage.
Biaxial surface order dynamics in calamitic nematics / Lombardo, G; Amoddeo, A; Hamdi, R; Ayeb, H; Barberi, R. - In: THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER. - ISSN 1292-8941. - 35:5(2012), p. 32.32. [10.1140/epje/i2012-12032-y]
Biaxial surface order dynamics in calamitic nematics
Amoddeo A;
2012-01-01
Abstract
Thermotropic nematic materials relax strong distortions by lowering the nematic order: theuniaxial symmetry is broken and is locally replaced by biaxial domains. We investigated the dynamicsof the nematic order near a boundary surface of an asymmetric pi-cell submitted to an external electricfield, close to the electric order reconstruction threshold. An unexpected phenomenon is observed close,but below the threshold: the biaxial order spreads on the surface inducing a consequent bulk topologicalbehaviour equivalent to the splay-bend fast transition allowed by order reconstruction at higher voltage.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
