Fréedericksz transition in homeotropically aligned liquid crystals: a photo- polarimetric characterization

This work is aimed to the photopolarimetric characterization of the disorder evolution occurring in homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal films during the Fréedericksz transition. This order-disorder transition is studied by monitoring the depolarization effects of the transmitted light.Depolarization mainly occurs because light undergoes random and local phase displacements. The measurements reveal unexpected depolarization effects at the transition, which we interpret in terms of director field unhomogeneity.

This work is aimed to the photopolarimetric characterization of the disorder evolution occurring in homeotropically nematic liquid crystal films during the Freedericksz transition. This order-disorder transition is studied by monitoring the depolarization effects of the transmitted light. Depolarization mainly occurs because light undergoes random and local phase displacements. The measurements reveal un-aligned expected depolarization effects at the transition, which we interpret in terms of director field unhomogeneity.