Alignment of liquid crystals which exhibit cholesteric to smectic <i>C</i>*phase transitions

Abstract

An alignment method for materials with cholesteric to smectic C* phase transitions is described. Ordering of the molecules, confined between glass plates which have been coated with a polymer and buffed, is achieved using an electric field. While the buffing direction defines the orientation of the long axis of the molecules, the electric field defines the direction of the layer tilt. In cells with only one buffed surface, polar surface interactions are thought to be responsible for producing monodomain specimens.