Author(s) | |
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Abstract |
We analyze the high-electric-field technique designed by Yokoyama and van Sprang [J. Appl. Phys. 57, 4520 (1985)] to determine the polar anchoring coefficient W of a nematic liquid crystal-solid substrate. The technique implies simultaneous measurement of the optical phase retardation and capacitance as functions of the applied voltage well above the threshold of the Frederiks transition. We develop a generalized model that allows for the determination of W for tilted director orientation. Furthermore, the model results in a new high-field technique, (referred to as the RV technique), based on the measurement of retardation versus applied voltage. W is determined from a simple linear fit over a well-specified voltage window. No capacitancemeasurements are needed to determine W when the dielectric constants of the liquid crystal are known. We analyze the validity of the Yokoyama–van Sprang (YvS) and RV techniques and show that experimental data in real cells often do not follow the theoretical curves. The reason is that the director distribution is inhomogeneous in the plane of the bounding plates, while the theory assumes that the director is not distorted in this plane. This discrepancy can greatly modify the fitted value of 1/W, and even change its sign, thus making the determination of W meaningless. We suggest a protocol that allows one to check if the cell can be used to measureW by the YvS or RV techniques. The protocol establishes new criteria that were absent in the original YvS procedure. The results are compared with other data on W, obtained by a threshold-field technique for the same nematic-substrate pair. |
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Identifier(s) | |
Publication Date |
1999-10-15
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Publication Title |
Journal of Applied Physics
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Volume |
86
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Issue |
8
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First Page |
4199
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Last Page |
4213
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Keywords | |
Subject | |
Rights |
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
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Community | |
Comments | |
Permalink | https://oaks.kent.edu/cpippubs/109 |
Nastishin, Y., Polak, R., Shiyanovskii, S., Bodnar, V., & Lavrentovich, O. (1999). Nematic Polar Anchoring Strength Measured by Electric Field Techniques (1–). Journal of Applied Physics. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.371347
Nastishin, Yuriy, R. Polak, Sergij Shiyanovskii, V. Bodnar, and Oleg Lavrentovich. 1999. “Nematic Polar Anchoring Strength Measured by Electric Field Techniques”. Journal of Applied Physics. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.371347.
Nastishin, Yuriy, et al. Nematic Polar Anchoring Strength Measured by Electric Field Techniques. Journal of Applied Physics, 15 Oct. 1999, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.371347.
Copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. The following article appeared in J. Appl. Phys. 86, 4199 (1999) and may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.371347.