Rectilinear low-frequency shear of homogeneously aligned nematic liquid crystals

Abstract

A thin film of nematic liquid crystal (ZLI 1085) is sandwiched between two horizontally mounted glass blocks, whose faces have been treated to align the molecules of the liquid parallel to the plane of the blocks. By moving one block relative to the other in its own plane, the liquid crystal is subjected to an oscillatory linear shear. Above a certain frequency-dependent amplitude, mechanical Williams domains of alternating bright and dark stripes are observed perpendicular to the direction of shear. A theoretical analysis of this phenomenon is carried out to provide predictions for both the thickness of the stripes and the critical amplitude as a function of frequency. Good agreement is found between the experimental and theoretical results.