Crossed fields induced periodic deformations in nematics: Effect of weak anchoring

Abstract

Theoretical studies are reported on the formation of static periodic distortions (PD) in a homeotropically aligned nematic insulator under the action of crossed electric (E) and magnetic (H) fields impressed in the sample plane. Linear stability analysis is used along with the Rapini-Papoular expression for surface free energy. Depending upon the material parameters, the direction of periodicity as well as the stripe width may change continuously or discontinuously with variation of the angle between H and E. The strength of director anchoring influences the phase diagrams as well as the nature of the transition between different distortion states. Curiously, some of the phase diagrams resemble those calculated recently for a thermotropic transition.