Pattern forming instability induced by light in pure and dye-doped nematic liquid crystals

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates light-induced pattern-forming instabilities in nematic liquid crystals, focusing on the effects of dye doping and the transition from stationary to oscillatory behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of the Hopf bifurcation in dye-doped nematic liquid crystals under oblique light incidence, expanding understanding of secondary instabilities.

Findings

Identification of spatially periodic Hopf bifurcation

Analysis of secondary instability after Freedericksz transition

Insights into dye-doped nematic liquid crystal behavior

Abstract

We study theoretically the instabilities induced by a linearly polarized ordinary light wave incident at a small oblique angle on a thin layer of homeotropically oriented nematic liquid crystal with special emphasis on the dye-doped case. The spatially periodic Hopf bifurcation that occurs as the secondary instability after the stationary Freedericksz transition is analyzed.