Dependence of Striped Domain Growth on Background Wavenumber

TL;DR

This study investigates how the growth of standing wave domains in electroconvection of nematic liquid crystals depends on the background wavenumber, revealing that domain-wall evolution is highly sensitive to wavenumber variations.

Contribution

It demonstrates the dependence of domain growth dynamics on background wavenumber by experimentally controlling modulation frequency in electroconvection patterns.

Findings

Domain-wall length evolution is strongly affected by wavenumber changes.

Structure factor growth is less sensitive to wavenumber variations.

Adjusting modulation frequency alters the steady-state wavenumber.

Abstract

We report on the growth of domains of standing waves in electroconvection in a nematic liquid crystal. An ac voltage is applied to the system, forming an initial state that consists of travelling striped patterns with two different wavenumbers, zig and zag rolls. The standing waves are generated by suddenly applying a periodic modulation of the amplitude of the applied voltage that is approximately resonant with the travelling frequency of the pattern. By varying the modulation frequency, we are able to vary the steady-state, average wavenumber. We characterize the growth by measuring the structure factor for the pattern, the amplitude of the pattern, and the domain-wall length. An interesting feature of the growth is that the evolution of the domain-wall length is strongly affected by changing the selected wavenumber; whereas, the evolution of the structure factor is less sensitive to such changes.