https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2012-12032-y
Regular Article
Biaxial surface order dynamics in calamitic nematics
1
CNR-IPCF UOS di Cosenza, c/o University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
2
Mechanics and Materials Department, University “Mediterranea” of Reggio Calabria, 89122, Reggio Calabria, Italy
3
Physics Department, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
4
Département de Physique, Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Molle, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia
* e-mail: riccardo.barberi@fis.unical.it
Received:
19
January
2012
Revised:
19
March
2012
Accepted:
23
April
2012
Published online:
17
May
2012
Thermotropic nematic materials relax strong distortions by lowering the nematic order: the uniaxial symmetry is broken and is locally replaced by biaxial domains. We investigated the dynamics of the nematic order near a boundary surface of an asymmetric π-cell submitted to an external electric field, 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 topological behaviour equivalent to the splay-bend fast transition allowed by order reconstruction at higher voltage.
Key words: Soft Matter: Liquid crystals
© EDP Sciences, SIF, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2012