Phase retardation of both extraordinary and ordinary polarized rays passing through a liquid crystal (LC) cell with homogeneous and inhomogeneous LC director distribution is calculated as a function of the LC pretilt angle ${\text{θ}}_{\text{0}}$ on the cell substrates in the range $0\le {\text{θ}}_{\text{0}}\le 90°$. The LC pretilt on both substrates can have the same or opposite direction, thereby forming homogeneous, splay, or bend director configurations. At the same pretilt angle value, the largest phase retardation $\Delta \Phi$ is observed in splay LC cells, whereas the smallest phase retardation is observed in bend cells. For the ${\text{θ}}_{\text{0}}$ values close to 0, 45°, and 90°, analytical approximations are derived, showing that phase retardation depends on LC birefringence variation.

The phase retardation difference, $\mathrm{\Delta }\mathrm{\Phi }$, is calculated for hybrid liquid crystal (LC) cells as a function of LC pretilt angles, ${\theta }_0^{(1)}$, ${\theta }_0^{(2)}$, on the opposite substrates of the cell for the case of an arbitrary angle of light incidence in the range from 0 to 90°. An LC director configuration is suggested for its application in optical compensators. Design and fabrication methods of hybrid aligned nematic (HAN) cells with an arbitrary LC pretilt angle are described. The LC pretilt angle is measured in the HAN cells with a given planar or vertical LC alignment on one of the substrates.

Optical and electro-optical methods of liquid crystal (LC) director pretilt angle measurement are described for LC cells with homogeneous and inhomogeneous LC director distribution. The LC pretilt on both LC substrates can have the same or opposite direction. The phase retardation difference of both extraordinary and ordinary polarized rays passing through an LC cell with homogeneous and inhomogeneous LC director distribution has been calculated versus the LC pretilt angle ${\theta }_0$ on the cell’s substrates in the range $0\le {\theta }_0\le 90°$. The experimental procedure for phase retardation difference determination by measurement of the LC cell transmission between crossed polarizers for cells with LC tilted alignment is described. The method developed can also be used in optical compensator design.

A porous system for LC alignment is reviewed. Fabrication of nanomesh aluminum films and their porous structure are described. Methods of the nanomesh parameters for optimal LC alignment are discussed. A model of the LC alignment in a porous system is proposed. The LC orientation type is determined by the free anchoring energy and the micropore diameter. The difference between planar and homeotropic anchoring energies appears to be lower than the interaction energy by two orders of magnitude

The goal of the work is a simulation of LC and their fragments orientation by calculating an interaction energy between atoms of different molecules with atoms of a substrate's surface with regular structure (graphite, polyethylene) vs angles which characterize their orientation towards the surface. A model of a contacting surface is proposed to explain type of LC alignment.