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A spontaneous bipolar-to-radial structural transition within nematic microdroplets is found with systematical changes of electrostatic properties of both liquid crystal mixtures and aqueous environments.

We present new results of experimental investigations of azimuthal director reorientation dynamics for a nematic liquid crystal on solid substrates. Two types of substrate with weak anchoring were studied: glass/polystyrene and glass/UV‐activated dye. Slow and fast relaxation processes were observed in both cases under the action of a strong ‘in‐plane’ electric field. The slow surface reorientation and memory effects were controlled by two parameters: the electric voltage and the excitation time. It was established that the increase of the excitation time results in a slowing of the relaxation of the system to the initial state after turning off the electric field. A phenomenological model of a gliding of easy axes is proposed to explain the slow relaxation process.

Journal de Physique, Journal de Physique Archives représente une mine d informations facile à consulter sur la manière dont la physique a été publiée depuis 1872.