The interaction of colloidal particles with weak homeotropic anchoring energy in homogeneous nematic liquid crystal cells

Abstract

We have investigated interactions of colloidal particles with weak homeotropic anchoring energy in homogeneous nematic liquid crystal cells. Particle–wall and inter-particle interactions were observed experimentally and analyzed using typical dipole–dipole and quadrupole–quadrupole interactions, including substrate effects as the image charges. Both experimental results matched well with the calculated results for the effective particle radius reflecting the weak anchoring. The effective radius is reduced by the amount of extrapolation length than the actual particle radius. The effective radii of polyethylene micro-particles were reduced to a coefficient ζ (0.78 ≥ ζ ≥ 0.52) times the actual radius with anchoring coefficients in the range of 3.8 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.4 × 10⁻⁶ J m⁻². The anchoring energy of the particles is, therefore, a key component for explaining liquid crystal colloidal systems.