From molecular to continuum modelling of bistable liquid crystal devices

Abstract

We study nematic equilibria on a square with tangent Dirichlet conditions on the edges, in three different modelling frameworks: (i) the off-lattice Hard Gaussian Overlap and Gay-Berne models; (ii) the latticebased Lebwohl-Lasher model; and the (iii) two-dimensional Landau-de Gennes model. We compare the modelling predictions, identify regimes of agreement and in the Landau-de Gennes case, find up to 81 different equilibria. Of these, 6 are physically stable, reducing to 2 if rotational symmetries are discounted.