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Chinese Physics, 2003, Vol. 12(11): 1283-1290    DOI: 10.1088/1009-1963/12/11/317
CONDENSED MATTER: STRUCTURAL, MECHANICAL, AND THERMAL PROPERTIES Prev   Next  

First-order Fréedericksz transition at the threshold point for weak anchoring nematic liquid crystal cell under external electric and magnetic fields

Guan Rong-Hua (关荣华)ab, Yang Guo-Chen (杨国琛)b
a Department of Applied Physics, North China Electric Power University, Baoding 071003, China; b Institute of Material Physics, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, China
Abstract  Based on the modified formula of Rapini-Papoular, the equilibrium equation and boundary condition of the director have been obtained and the behaviour of the Fréedericksz transition at the threshold point has been studied for weak-anchoring nematic liquid crystal cells under external electric and magnetic fields with the methods of analytical derivation and numerical calculation. The results show that, except for the usual second-order transition, the first-order Fréedericksz transition can also be induced by a suitable surface anchoring technique for the liquid crystal cell given in the paper. The conditions for the existence of the first-order Fréedericksz transition are obtained. They are related to the material elastic coefficient k11, k33 the thickness of the liquid crystal cell, the external electric field and the strength of surface anchoring, etc.
Keywords:  weak anchoring      threshold point      first-order Fréedericksz transition      electric and magnetic fields  
Received:  20 June 2003      Revised:  18 August 2003      Accepted manuscript online: 
PACS:  61.30.Hn (Surface phenomena: alignment, anchoring, anchoring transitions, surface-induced layering, surface-induced ordering, wetting, prewetting transitions, and wetting transitions)  
  64.70.Md  
  61.30.Gd (Orientational order of liquid crystals; electric and magnetic field effects on order)  
  64.60.Fr  

Cite this article: 

Guan Rong-Hua (关荣华), Yang Guo-Chen (杨国琛) First-order Fréedericksz transition at the threshold point for weak anchoring nematic liquid crystal cell under external electric and magnetic fields 2003 Chinese Physics 12 1283

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