Statistical mechanics of splay flexoelectricity in nematic liquid crystals

We develop a lattice model for the splay flexoelectric effect in nematic liquid crystals. In this model, each lattice site has a spin representing the local molecular orientation, and the interaction between neighboring spins represents pear-shaped molecules with shape polarity. We perform Monte Car...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics Vol. 81; no. 3 Pt 1; p. 031704
Main Authors Dhakal, Subas, Selinger, Jonathan V
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.03.2010
Subjects
Computer Simulation
Electromagnetic Fields
Liquid Crystals - chemistry
Liquid Crystals - radiation effects
Models, Chemical
Models, Statistical
Radiation Dosage
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Summary:We develop a lattice model for the splay flexoelectric effect in nematic liquid crystals. In this model, each lattice site has a spin representing the local molecular orientation, and the interaction between neighboring spins represents pear-shaped molecules with shape polarity. We perform Monte Carlo simulations and mean-field calculations to find the behavior as a function of interaction parameters, temperature, and applied electric field. The resulting phase diagram has three phases: isotropic, nematic, and polar. In the nematic phase, there is a large splay flexoelectric effect, which diverges as the system approaches the transition to the polar phase. These results show that flexoelectricity can be a statistical phenomenon associated with the onset of polar order.
ISSN:1550-2376
DOI:10.1103/physreve.81.031704