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The effect of the elastic constants on the alignment and electro-optic behaviour of smectic C liquid crystals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 1997

C. V. BROWN
Affiliation:
Defence Research Agency, St. Andrews Road, Malvern, Worcs. WR14 3PS, UK
P. E. DUNN
Affiliation:
Defence Research Agency, St. Andrews Road, Malvern, Worcs. WR14 3PS, UK
J. C. JONES
Affiliation:
Defence Research Agency, St. Andrews Road, Malvern, Worcs. WR14 3PS, UK

Abstract

The static electro-optic behaviour of achiral smectic C samples in the chevron geometry have been modelled using the continuum theory of Leslie et al. [1]. The model assumes that the layer tilt and smectic C director tilt angle are constant, and treats the layers at the chevron interface as an infinitely bound surface. Comparison of the predicted electro-optic behaviour with experimental results gives values for the bend (B1) and splay (B2) c-director elastic constants. However, more detailed optical studies show that surface and chevron interface terms become important at high values of applied electric field.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1997 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

British Crown copyright 1996/ORA. Published with permission of the controller of H.M.S.O.