Basic Studies of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals

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Fundamental studies of nematic liquid crystals confined to micron and submicron-size cavities in a solid polymer are described. The high surface-to-volume ratio imposed by the cavities and the high density of cavities present in polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs) allow for NMR and light scattering studies of unusual surface phenomena not possible before by these powerful experimental methods. Unique measurements of surface anchoring energies, angles, and residing times are proposed and experiments on the surface layer transition predicted by theory are shown to be accessible by these techniques. Nematic director configurations and modifications of the nematic-isotropic transition induced by the confinement of a nematic liquid crystal to a small and highly curved cavity will be studied. These basic studies are guided by applications of PDLCs in light shutters for displays and other electrooptic devices. Other basic work to investigate phase separation in the nematic phase essential to create new types of PDLC materials and to determine the underlying reason for field induced hysteresis of nematic configurations are topics which come from direct interactions with applied and industrial interests in PDLC materials.