Weak Boundary Storage Effect in Homogeneous Liquid Crystal Cells

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Abstract
Based on the Oseen and Frank elastic continuum theory of nematic liquid crystals and on a generalized torque balance equation at the liquid crystal-to-substrate interface, static deformations of a semi-infinite liquid crystal (LC) medium and a homogeneous LC cell have been investigated using the anisotropic LC-to-substrate anchoring energy C as a parameter. Both the elastic and dielectric anisotropies are considered in obtaining the solutions. Storage effects are predicted for sufficiently small anchoring anisotropy. Numerical ranges of C, within which the weak boundary storage effect may occur, have been calculated for twenty commercially-avaialble nematic LC mixtures in the homo-geneous-cell configuration. An equation for the storage time as a function of C has also been derived. The treatment has also been extended to include the most general from of a LC-to-substrate interfacial potential. Such a weak boundary storage effect could provide a means for realizing low power, non-refreshed, matrix-addressed flat panel displays.