APS » PROLA » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 87 » Issue 10

Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 105501 (2001) [4 pages]

Evidence for Droplet Reorientation and Interfacial Charges in a Polymer-Dispersed Liquid-Crystal Cell
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S. C. Sharma *, L. Zhang, A. J. Tapiawala, and P. C. Jain †
Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019

Received 11 August 2000; published 16 August 2001

We observe a new feature ( plateau), sandwiched between two exponentially decaying components, in the switching response of a polymer-dispersed liquid-crystal (PDLC) cell. Upon application of square-wave electrical pulses, the cell response exhibits a complex decay whose characteristics are significantly different within and outside the applied field. We interpret these results in terms of reorientation dynamics of nonspherical droplets in the PDLC. Irradiation of the PDLC with gamma rays induces significant changes in the cell response in a manner that is consistent with redistribution of charges at the liquid-crystal–polymer interface in the PDLC.


©2001 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v87/e105501
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.105501
PACS: 61.30.Gd

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
† Permanent address: Department of Physics, University of Delhi, Delhi, India 110007.

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