Nematic liquid crystal dynamics under applied electric fields

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2010

Authors

de Oliveira, BF (Author) Other; Avelino, PP (Author) FCUP; Moraes, F (Author) Other; J.C.R.E. Oliveira (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Physical Review E - Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics

Vol. 82 No. 4, Part 1

ISSN: 1539-3755

Publisher: American Physical Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 20 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 25 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Physical sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-003-1V9

DOI: 10.1103/physreve.82.041707

Abstract (EN): In this paper we investigate the coarsening dynamics of liquid crystal textures in a two-dimensional nematic under applied electric fields, using numerical simulations performed using a publicly available liquid crystal algorithm developed by the authors. We consider both positive and negative dielectric anisotropies and two different possibilities for the orientation of the electric field (parallel and perpendicular to the two-dimensional lattice). We determine the effect of an applied electric field pulse on the evolution of the characteristic length scale and other properties of the liquid crystal texture network. In particular, we show that different types of defects are produced after the electric field is switched on, depending on the orientation of the electric field and the sign of the dielectric anisotropy.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7