Virtual surfaces, director domains and the Freedericksz transition in polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystals

摘要

The critical field of the Freedericksz transition and switching dynamics areinvestigated for polymer stabilized nematic liquid crystals as a function ofpolymer concentration. A simple phenomenological model is proposed to describethe observed critical field and dynamic response time behaviors as a functionof concentration. In this model the polymer fibrils form director domains,which are bounded by virtual surfaces with a finite anchoring energy. TheFreedericksz transition occurs independently within each of these domains.