This article is cited in 6 papers

CONDENSED MATTER

Light-field-induced spatially periodic freedericksz transition in a planar nematic cell

M. F. Lednei

National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv

Abstract: It is shown that a threshold spatially periodic reorientation of the director by a light field is possible in a planar nematic liquid crystal cell if the ratio of the Frank elastic constants, K ₂/K ₁, exceeds a critical value. The periodic director structure arising in the cell leads to a self-diffraction of the incident light wave. The dependences obtained for this phenomenon make it possible to determine the values of the elastic constants K ₁ and K ₂, the director reorientation threshold, and the period of the director structure from the experimental values of the self-diffraction angle.

PACS: 61.30.Cz, 61.30.Gd, 61.30.Hn, 64.70.Md

Received: 09.01.2007
Revised: 26.02.2007

 English version: Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters, 2007, 85:7, 328–330

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