Effect of Saddle-Splay Elasticity on Stability of Disclination Rings in Nematic Liquid Crystals

摘要

In this paper,the stability of disclination ring in nematic liquid crystals is studied.In the presence ofsaddle-splay elasticity (characterized by k_(24)) the disclination ring has a universal equilibrium radius.Depending on thevalues of the saddle-splay constant k_(24),the universal equilibrium radius is altered.When k_(24)>0.92k (m = 1/2) andk_(24)>0.88k (m =-1/2),the disclination will be a point rather than a ring,where k is the Frank elastic constant in theone-constant approximation.