Authors

Y. H. Lin; H. W. Ren; Y. H. Wu; X. Liang;S. T. Wu

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

Opt. Express

Keywords

MORPHOLOGY DEVELOPMENT; LIGHT-SCATTERING; DROPLETS; SOLVENT; FIELD; MODEL; CELL; Optics

Abstract

The surface pining effects on phase separation dynamics of polymer-dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) with thin cell gaps are demonstrated. Comparing various boundary conditions, the inner surfaces of the substrates with or without polyimide layers [but no rubbing] cannot provide enough anchoring force, so in either case the liquid crystal (LC) droplets flow and coalesce to form larger and less uniform droplets. However, if the inner surfaces of the substrates are coated with rubbed polyimide layers with anchoring energy > 1 x 10(-4) J/m(2), almost all the nucleated LC droplets grow at a fixed position during phase separation. The appearance of the coalescence is not obvious and the formed LC droplets are relatively uniform. The surface anchoring has a significant effect on the morphology of PDLCs.

Journal Title

Optics Express

Volume

13

Issue/Number

2

Publication Date

1-1-2005

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

468

Last Page

474

WOS Identifier

WOS:000226576800015

ISSN

1094-4087

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