Issue 35, 2024

Effect of rotational shear on the dielectric dispersion of a nematic liquid crystal above the Freedericksz threshold field

Abstract

Rheo-dielectric studies of soft materials provide important information on the dynamic structure and electric polarization. We study the dielectric dispersion of a nematic liquid crystal by applying a high AC probe field without a DC bias and a low AC probe field with a high DC bias under steady rotational shear. The dielectric anisotropy of the nematic is positive and the applied electric field is parallel to the velocity gradient with a magnitude larger than the Freedericksz threshold field. We find that the dielectric dispersion and the relaxation frequencies are strongly shear rate dependent. The analysis of the results based on a simple physical model shows that the effective dielectric constant of the nematic with non-uniform director tilt in the shear plane can be modelled as a series combination of parallel and perpendicular components. Our experiments demonstrate changes in dielectric dispersion are due to molecular reorientation under the influence of the competing effects of hydrodynamic and dielectric torques.

Graphical abstract: Effect of rotational shear on the dielectric dispersion of a nematic liquid crystal above the Freedericksz threshold field

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 jun 2024
Accepted
12 ago 2024
First published
14 ago 2024

Soft Matter, 2024,20, 6965-6970

Effect of rotational shear on the dielectric dispersion of a nematic liquid crystal above the Freedericksz threshold field

K. A. Das, M. P. Kumar, S. Čopar and S. Dhara, Soft Matter, 2024, 20, 6965 DOI: 10.1039/D4SM00682H

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