SPATIALLY MODULATED STRUCTURES IN NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTAL UNDER OSCILLATORY COUETTE FLOW AT ULTRALOW FREQUENCIES

The distortion of homeotropic structure of nematic liquid crystal under the influence of periodic shear at ultralow frequencies is theoretically described. It is shown that periodic shear action results in spatially modulated structure in NLC layer. Threshold shear amplitude and spacial periodicity of new molecular orientational structure are found on the base of nonlinear nematic liquid crystal hydrodynamic equations using Galerkin method. Theoretical analysis shows that at low frequencies threshold shear amplitude does not depend on frequency and the spatial period of the order of NLC layer thickness. Theoretical results are compared with experimental data.

nematic liquid crystal, periodic shear, spatially modulated structure, threshold amplitude