Displays and antiferroelectric liquid crystals

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework for antiferroelectric liquid crystals with nanotube composites, highlighting improved electro-optical properties and the effects of fluctuations and disclinations in these systems.

Contribution

It introduces a new theoretical model for bi-layer-dimerized chiral antiferroelectric liquid crystals with nanotube interactions, addressing effects not previously well understood.

Findings

Enhanced spontaneous polarization due to aromatic core interactions with CNTs

Improved electro-optical properties in composite systems

Theoretical insights into fluctuations and disclinations in SmC*A phase

Abstract

Recently we have formulated theory of bi-layer-dimerized chiral liquid antiferroelectric crystals. The spontaneous polarization has been increased owing to the strong interaction of the aromatic cores of the rod like liquid crystal molecules with the honey-comb pattern of the CNT walls The SmC*A ordering is improved around the CNTs. All relaxation modes in each phase are facilitated by dispersion of nanotubes whicg enhances the relaxation frequencies. This composite system with improvement in electro-optical properties can be exploited in modern display applications. SmC* LC were studied by one of t he authors (OH), namely their transition from the SmC phase. The role of disclinations in an applied electric field was studied by O. Hudak in the SmC* structure. While the role of fluctuations and of disclinations in the SmC* (FLC)was studied in the above papers, the role of fluctuations and disclinations in SmC*A and the role of addition of MWCNTs in SmC*A phaseis not well understood. Our theoretical description of (AFLC) including SmC*A introduced in may thus be used to study these effects.