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Cholesteric pitch-transitions induced by a magnetic field in a sample containing incomplete number of pitches

  • Research Article
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Central European Journal of Physics

Abstract

We investigate the pitch transitions induced by an external bulk field in a Cholesteric Liquid Crystal slab of finite thickness ℓ that contains an incomplete number of π-twists. The analysis is performed for a magnetic field that is (i) perpendicular to the helical axis, and (ii) tilted with respect to one of the easy directions imposed by planar and rigid boundary conditions. For finite ℓ we obtain a cascade of transitions, where the bulk expels a half-pitch at a time with increasing field to avoid divergences in the elastic energy. The dependence of the threshold magnetic field inducing the expulsion on the easy axes twist angle δ is investigated for all the cascade of pitch transitions and in particular for the final one, corresponding to the Cholesteric-Nematic transition. In the ℓ → ∞ limit this dependence disappears and we reobtain the results of de Gennes for an infinite sample.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Solid State Section, Department of Physics, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografos, Athens, 157 84, Greece

    Ioannis Lelidis

  2. Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Torino, Italia

    Ioannis Lelidis & Giovanni Barbero

  3. ISC-CNR, Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi — Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, c/o Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Torino, Italia

    Antonio M. Scarfone

Authors
  1. Ioannis Lelidis
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  2. Giovanni Barbero
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  3. Antonio M. Scarfone
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Correspondence to Antonio M. Scarfone.

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Lelidis, I., Barbero, G. & Scarfone, A.M. Cholesteric pitch-transitions induced by a magnetic field in a sample containing incomplete number of pitches. centr.eur.j.phys. 10, 587–593 (2012). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11534-012-0050-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11534-012-0050-y

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