Bistable azimuthal alignment has been produced in channels of homogeneous nematic liquid crystal with periodic grating sidewalls. The grating morphologies included a symmetric triangular profile (blaze/pitch (b/p) = 0), an asymmetric highly blazed sawtooth profile (b/p = 0.5) and profiles with different amounts of blaze asymmetry between these two extremes. The observed optical textures and the trend in the relative frequency of occurrence of the two stable states as a function of the asymmetry were in agreement with the predictions of n-director-based Frank-Oseen nematic continuum theory. A sidewall grating morphology with an intermediate degree of blaze asymmetry, b/p = 0.3, gave the highest optical contrast between the bistable states.
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机译：在具有周期性光栅侧壁的均匀向列液晶的通道中已经产生了双稳态方位对准。光栅的形态包括对称的三角形轮廓（火焰/螺距（b / p）= 0），不对称的高度火焰锯齿形轮廓（b / p = 0.5）以及在这两个极端之间具有不同程度的火焰非对称性的轮廓。观察到的光学纹理和两个稳定状态出现的相对频率的变化趋势（作为不对称性的函数）与基于n方向的Frank-Oseen向列连续体理论的预测相符。具有中等闪耀不对称度（b / p = 0.3）的侧壁光栅形态在双稳态之间具有最高的光学对比度。
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