New Ground State for the Splay-Fréedericksz Transition in a Polymer Nematic Liquid Crystal

Abstract

We have discovered a new form of Fr\'eedericksz transition in which uniform splay distortion is replaced by a complex periodic twist-splay pattern having a lower critical field than that for uniform splay. Experimental evidence is presented along with an exact calculation of both the critical field and the initial form of the distortion as a function of the ratio of the splay and twist elastic constants.