Features of Relaxation of a Stress Tensor in the Microscopic Volume of Nematic Phase under the Action of a Strong Electric Field

Abstract

A numerical study of new regimes of reorientation of director field n̂, velocity v, and components of stress tensor σ_ij (ij = x, y, z) of nematic liquid crystal (LC) encapsulated in a rectangular channel under the action of a strong electric field E directed at angle \(\alpha \left( {\sim\frac{\pi }
{2}} \right)\) to the horizontal surfaces bounding the LC channel is proposed. The numerical calculations performed in the framework of nonlinear generalization of the classical Eriksen-Leslie theory have shown that at certain relations between the torques and momenta affecting the unit LC volume and E ≫ E_th, transition periodic structures can emerge during reorientation of n̂, if the corresponding distortion mode has the fastest response, and, thus, suppress all other modes. Rotating domains originating within this process decrease the energy dissipation rate and create more favorable regimes of the director field reorientation, as compared with the uniform rotational displacement.