Nonequilibrium Periodic Structures Induced by Rotating and Static Fields in a Lyotropic Nematic Liquid Crystal

Abstract

Nonequilibrium periodic textures are induced by a magnetic field $H$ applied to the aligned uniaxial (negative diamagnetic anisotropy) lyotropic nematic phase of the potassium laurate-decanol-water system. Two cases are studied: a rotating field and a static field. For the rotating field a transient one-dimensional structure results. With the static field, the appearance and decay of a two-dimensional lattice structure is observed. In both cases the dependence of the lattice periodicity on $H$ is measured and compared to recent theories.