Long-range orientational order, local-field anisotropy, and mean molecular polarizability in liquid crystals
The problems on the relation of the mean effective molecular polarizability {gamma}-bar to the long-range orientational order of molecules (the optical anisotropy of the medium) in uniaxial and biaxial liquid crystals, the local anisotropy on mesoscopic scales, and the anisotropy of the Lorentz tensor L and the local-field tensor f are formulated and solved. It is demonstrated that the presence of the long-range orientational order of molecules in liquid crystals imposes limitations from below on the molecular polarizability {gamma}-bar, which differs for uniaxial and biaxial liquid crystals. The relation between the local anisotropy and the molecular polarizability {gamma}-bar is investigated for calamitic and discotic uniaxial liquid crystals consisting of lath- and disk-shaped molecules. These liquid crystals with identical macroscopic symmetry differ in the local anisotropy and the relationships between the components L{sub parallel} < L{sub perpendicular} , f{sub parallel} < f{sub perpendicular} (calamitic) and L{sub parallel} > L{sub perpendicular} , f{sub parallel} > f{sub perpendicular} (discotic) for an electric field oriented parallel and perpendicular to the director. The limitations from below and above on the molecular polarizability {gamma}-bar due to the anisotropy of the tensors L and f are established for liquid crystals of both types. These limitations indicate that the molecular polarizability {gamma}-bar depends on the phase state and the temperature. The factors responsible for the nonphysical consequences of the local-field models based on the approximation {gamma}-bar = const are revealed. The theoretical inferences are confirmed by the experimental data for a number of calamitic nematic liquid crystals with different values of birefringence and the discotic liquid crystal Col{sub ho}.
- OSTI ID:
- 21246957
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 108; ISSN JTPHES; ISSN 1063-7761
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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