Influence of barrier effects at interfaces on dynamic scattering of light in a nematic liquid crystal

Abstract

The intensity of light dynamic scattering by a nematic liquid crystal with negative dielectric anisotropy (ZhK-440) as a function of the constant electric field strength has been studied under different interfacial conditions. It has been shown that potential barriers that arise at the interfaces not only influence the scattering intensity, but may also radically change the form of the dependence; i.e., the curves of optical transmission in the direction of the incident beam may have a minimum under certain field strengths. At higher strengths, the cells become totally transparent again. This anomalous behavior of the transmission curve is associated with the fact that the conductivity of the cells drops below a critical value with growing field strength, as the resistance of the space charge region at the inversely biased junction of the extraction electrode rises. In addition, it has been shown that the high resistance of the cells at low voltages may be attributed not only to a low concentration of impurities in the liquid crystal, but also to a low emissivity of the injecting electrode and a weak electron affinity of the extraction electrode.