Evaluation of the Surface and Flexoelectric Polarization in Nematic Liquid Crystal Based on the Pyroelectric Technique

Abstract

The evaluation of the surface and flexoelectric polarization has been carried out by a, pyroelectric technique. The temperature increment has been made using a short pulse laser and measured by a, novel time-resolved"optical thermometer" technique monitoring temperature dependent birefringence for a He-Ne laser beam. The temperature dependence of the surface polarization has been measured for both the Planar and homeotropic orientations of a, nematic liuid crystal at a solid substrate.The sign and absolute value of sum of flexoelectric coefficients have also been measured in a, hybrid aligned cell.