Dynamics of Deformation of a Nematic under Strong Crossed Electric and Magnetic Fields

Abstract

A new mode of reorientation of the field of director \(\hat n\) of a nematic liquid crystal (LC) encapsulated into a rectangular cell under strong crossed electric (E) and magnetic (B) fields has been proposed. Numerical calculations performed within the linear generalization of the classical Ericksen–Leslie theory show that transition periodic structures facilitating a decrease in the effective rotational viscosity of a nematic, formed by 4-n-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) molecules, may arise during reorientation of \(\hat n\) at certain ratios of the moments and momenta per unit volume of the LC phase and when E ≫ E_th. The calculations conducted for 5CB also indicate that the periodic structures formed in a LC cell facilitate a decrease in reorientation time τ_on of the director field.