Accession Number:

ADA151557

Title:

Interaction of Liquid Crystals with Inhomogeneous Surfaces.

Descriptive Note:

Final rept. 20 Jul 80-19 Jan 84,

Corporate Author:

BRANDEIS UNIV WALTHAM MA

Personal Author(s):

• Meyer,R. B.

Report Date:

1985-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

9.0

Abstract:

We undertook the study of the interaction of nematic liquid crystals with inhomogeneous solid surfaces, in the attempt to better understand surface interactions and to fabricate new kinds of devices with novel surface alignment techniques. Along with the surface studies, we considered the optic properties of the new liquid crystal configurations we were attempting to fabricate, and new electro-optical effects that might be achieved. The new surface treatments that we investigated were ones consisting of a microscopically inhomogeneous array of different aligning agents. The cases studied in detail were that of a surface which aligns the nematic director perpendicular to itself, on which we created a random array of spots, a few hundred angstroms in diameter, in which the director is parallel to the surface, and the inverse, i.e., spots of vertical alignment on a horizontal aligning surface. Keywords include Liquid crystals, Surface properties, Nematic liquid crystals, and Optical properties.

Descriptors:

• *LIQUID CRYSTALS
• OPTICAL PROPERTIES
• ELECTROOPTICS
• INTERACTIONS
• SURFACE FINISHING
• SOLIDS
• ALIGNMENT
• SURFACES
• CONFIGURATIONS
• PARALLEL ORIENTATION

Subject Categories:

• Crystallography

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE