Alignment of nematic liquid crystal on the surface with spatial distribution of easy axis and anchoring energy

摘要

In this report we consider behaviour of nematic LC on randomly aligning surface. We solved the theoretical problem on spatial distribution of director on a tested surface where easy axis lies in the azimuthal plane and is randomly distributed over the surface. We found that in combined cell angular distribution of director on the tested surface strongly depends on anchoring parameter and its dispersion. For strong anchoring the director distribution practically coincides with the easy axis distribution. Weaker anchoring results in narrowing of the admitted region of the director orientation, and emerging of maximum of the distribution function at the outermost angles of this region. The dispersion of anchoring energy over the surface leads to drastic transformations of the distribution function and shift of the maximum towards the smaller angles. We believe that results obtained will give us a powerful tool for studying LC-aligning surface interfaces.