The Alignment of Liquid Crystals around Spherical Spacers and its Dependence on Liquid Crystal Materials

Abstract

The dependence of the alignment of liquid crystals around spherical spacers on liquid crystal materials has been studied. The non-polar LC mixture of PCH302 and PCH304 aligned vertically on the surface of spacers. On the other hand, the polar LC mixture, ZLI-1083 that is composed of PCIIs, showed tangential alignment on the surface. In the case of the mixture of non-polar LC and polar LC, both vertical and tangential alignments were observed. A fluorinated LC mixture also showed tangential alignment. The polarity of liquid crystal mixtures is suggested to play a significant role in determining the alignment.