Cooperative liquid-crystal alignment generated by overlaid topography

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2011 May;83(5 Pt 1):051708. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.83.051708. Epub 2011 May 24.

Abstract

Nematic and smectic liquid crystals were introduced into μm-scale gaps between plates coated with polymer films nanoimprinted with parallel arrays of rectangular channels. Overlaying the channels on the two plates close enough at a slight angle produces a mosaic of alternating planar and homeotropic alignments and hybrid alignment, showing that complex liquid-crystal orientation patterns can be achieved by combining two simple topographic patterns. These alignment patterns are attributed to spatial variation of surface roughness and 3D topographic structure created by a sufficient proximity of the two patterns.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.