Quartic coupling and its effect on wetting behaviors in nematic liquid crystals

• 作者: Holger Merlitz 吴晨旭 曾明颖
• 来源期刊: 中国物理B（英文版）
• 关键词: quartic coupling surface anchoring energy phase transition wetting behavior
• 年，卷（期）: 2015,（2）
• 页码范围: 026101-1-026101-5
• 页数: 1页
• 语种: 英文
• DOI: 10.1088/1674-1056/24/2/026101

摘要

Based on the fact that patterns of rubbed groove also affect anchoring of liquid crystals at substrates, a quartic coupling is included in constructing the surface energy for a liquid crystal cell. The phase diagram and the wetting behaviors of liquid crystal cell, bounded by surfactant-laden interfaces in a magnetic field perpendicular to the substrate are discussed by taking the quartic coupling into account. The nematic order increases at the surface while decreases in the bulk as a result of the introduction of quartic substrate–liquid crystal coupling, indicating that the groove anchoring makes the liquid crystal molecules align more orderly near the substrate than away from it. This causes a different wetting behavior: complete wetting.