Mathematical modeling of inhomogeneous electric field impact on a liquid crystal layer

Abstract

The authors analyze the Fréedericksz transition phenomenon of reorientation of molecules in the plane liquid crystal layer in inhomogeneous electric field generated by parallel plate capacitor using the Oseen–Frank mathematical model. The capacitor is a set of short metal plates periodically located on both sides of the extended liquid crystal layer, connected in series in two circuits. When electric charges of different signs appear on opposite plates of the capacitor, the electric field in the periodicity cell turns out to be significantly inhomogeneous both in length and in thickness of the layer. Governing equations of the model represent Euler's variational equations in the problem on minimization of the potential energy of liquid crystal. Numerical solution of the equations uses the authorial variational difference scheme. The Laplace equation for electric potential in the exterior of the liquid crystal layer is solved using the method of lines. The electric field and the patterns of orientation angles of molecules inside the layer are determined by iterating with numerical solution of Poisson's equation using the fast Fourier transform at each iteration step. The algorithm is implemented by means of CUDA technology for computing systems with graphics accelerators. The scale of the mesh to ensure the computation accuracy is selected from calculation of Tsvetkov's order parameter in a rectangular cell pattern. Verification of the algorithm and program is implemented by way of comparing the computational results and the exact solution of the problem on the homogenous electric field with the constant initial orientation angle of liquid crystal molecules. The computations accomplished yield the patterns of the electric potentials and orientation angles of molecules depending on the position of the capacitor plates at uniform and s‐shaped initial distribution of the orientation angles through the thickness of the liquid crystal layer.