Interactions on the Interface between Two Liquid Crystal Materials
In liquid crystal applications, boundary conditions are essential to ensuring suitable bulk molecular orientation and a deterministic response to external fields. Be it confinement to a droplet or a shell, a glass plate, or an interface with air or another liquid, proper surface alignment must be en...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Crystals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/10/5/393 |
| _version_ | 1797568031135629312 |
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| author | Rok Geršak Simon Čopar |
| author_facet | Rok Geršak Simon Čopar |
| author_sort | Rok Geršak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In liquid crystal applications, boundary conditions are essential to ensuring suitable bulk molecular orientation and a deterministic response to external fields. Be it confinement to a droplet or a shell, a glass plate, or an interface with air or another liquid, proper surface alignment must be ensured—mechanically by rubbing, by chemical treatment that adds a layer of aligning molecules, by using photoalignment or even by leaving the surface untreated, using the intrinsic properties of the substrate itself. The anchoring can be classified as unidirectional (perpendicular homeotropic, or at oblique angles), or degenerate (planar or pre-tilted). However, if both substances at the interface are anisotropic, more diverse behaviour is expected. Here, we present a numerical simulation of a nematic droplet in a nematic host, and investigate behaviour of the director field and defects at the interface for different interfacial couplings. Finally, we compare the simulations to experimental images of discotic droplets in a calamitic nematic host. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:50:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-65dc9728bbb041e9b4ec8e9c41f294c6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4352 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:50:35Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crystals |
| spelling | doaj.art-65dc9728bbb041e9b4ec8e9c41f294c62023-11-20T00:25:34ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522020-05-0110539310.3390/cryst10050393Interactions on the Interface between Two Liquid Crystal MaterialsRok Geršak0Simon Čopar1Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaFaculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaIn liquid crystal applications, boundary conditions are essential to ensuring suitable bulk molecular orientation and a deterministic response to external fields. Be it confinement to a droplet or a shell, a glass plate, or an interface with air or another liquid, proper surface alignment must be ensured—mechanically by rubbing, by chemical treatment that adds a layer of aligning molecules, by using photoalignment or even by leaving the surface untreated, using the intrinsic properties of the substrate itself. The anchoring can be classified as unidirectional (perpendicular homeotropic, or at oblique angles), or degenerate (planar or pre-tilted). However, if both substances at the interface are anisotropic, more diverse behaviour is expected. Here, we present a numerical simulation of a nematic droplet in a nematic host, and investigate behaviour of the director field and defects at the interface for different interfacial couplings. Finally, we compare the simulations to experimental images of discotic droplets in a calamitic nematic host.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/10/5/393surface anchoringanisotropic interfaceLandau-de Gennes |
| spellingShingle | Rok Geršak Simon Čopar Interactions on the Interface between Two Liquid Crystal Materials Crystals surface anchoring anisotropic interface Landau-de Gennes |
| title | Interactions on the Interface between Two Liquid Crystal Materials |
| title_full | Interactions on the Interface between Two Liquid Crystal Materials |
| title_fullStr | Interactions on the Interface between Two Liquid Crystal Materials |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interactions on the Interface between Two Liquid Crystal Materials |
| title_short | Interactions on the Interface between Two Liquid Crystal Materials |
| title_sort | interactions on the interface between two liquid crystal materials |
| topic | surface anchoring anisotropic interface Landau-de Gennes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/10/5/393 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rokgersak interactionsontheinterfacebetweentwoliquidcrystalmaterials AT simoncopar interactionsontheinterfacebetweentwoliquidcrystalmaterials |