Flexoelectric surface switching of bistable nematic devices.
We report on a novel method of dynamically controlling the boundary conditions at the surface of a nematic liquid crystal using a surface flexoelectric effect. By moving the surface directors we show that one is able to manipulate defects which lie near the surface. This can be used to produce switc...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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2001
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| _version_ | 1826276470070181888 |
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| author | Denniston, C Yeomans, J |
| author_facet | Denniston, C Yeomans, J |
| author_sort | Denniston, C |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | We report on a novel method of dynamically controlling the boundary conditions at the surface of a nematic liquid crystal using a surface flexoelectric effect. By moving the surface directors we show that one is able to manipulate defects which lie near the surface. This can be used to produce switching of a nematic liquid-crystal device between two states with very similar free energies. This results in a bistable device that can retain either state with no applied voltage. Switching between the states occurs when the movement of the surface directors rotates those in the bulk which are then able to create or annihilate defects which lie near the surface of the device. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T23:14:26Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:66a060d9-2bd3-4fae-8155-2ffb8354e81d |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T23:14:26Z |
| publishDate | 2001 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:66a060d9-2bd3-4fae-8155-2ffb8354e81d2022-03-26T18:33:12ZFlexoelectric surface switching of bistable nematic devices.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:66a060d9-2bd3-4fae-8155-2ffb8354e81dEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2001Denniston, CYeomans, JWe report on a novel method of dynamically controlling the boundary conditions at the surface of a nematic liquid crystal using a surface flexoelectric effect. By moving the surface directors we show that one is able to manipulate defects which lie near the surface. This can be used to produce switching of a nematic liquid-crystal device between two states with very similar free energies. This results in a bistable device that can retain either state with no applied voltage. Switching between the states occurs when the movement of the surface directors rotates those in the bulk which are then able to create or annihilate defects which lie near the surface of the device. |
| spellingShingle | Denniston, C Yeomans, J Flexoelectric surface switching of bistable nematic devices. |
| title | Flexoelectric surface switching of bistable nematic devices. |
| title_full | Flexoelectric surface switching of bistable nematic devices. |
| title_fullStr | Flexoelectric surface switching of bistable nematic devices. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flexoelectric surface switching of bistable nematic devices. |
| title_short | Flexoelectric surface switching of bistable nematic devices. |
| title_sort | flexoelectric surface switching of bistable nematic devices |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dennistonc flexoelectricsurfaceswitchingofbistablenematicdevices AT yeomansj flexoelectricsurfaceswitchingofbistablenematicdevices |