Capillary and anchoring effects in thin hybrid nematic films and connection with bulk behavior

Abstract

By means of a molecular model, we examine hybrid nematic films with antagonistic anchoring angles where one of the surfaces is in the strong anchoring regime. If anchoring at the other surface is weak, and in the absence of wetting by the isotropic phase, the anchoring transition may interact with the capillary isotropic-nematic transition in interesting ways. For general anchoring conditions on this surface we confirm the existence of the step-tilt, biaxial phase and the associated transition to the linear, constant-tilt-rotation, configuration. The step-like phase is connected with the bulk isotropic phase for increasing film thickness so that the latter transition is to be interpreted as the capillary isotropic-nematic transition. Finally, we suggest possible global surface phase diagrams.

7 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (2)

• Orientational transitions in a nematic confined by competing surfaces
• Density functional theory study of the nematic-isotropic transition in an hybrid cell

Cited by in corpus (6)

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• Domain walls in two-dimensional nematics confined in a small circular cavity
• Liquid-crystal patterns of rectangular particles in a square nanocavity
• Ordering transitions of weakly anisotropic hard rods in narrow slit-like pores
• Theory and simulation of the confined Lebwohl-Lasher model