Role of Surface Effects on the Formation and the Dynamics of Defects in a Nematic Cell with a Planar Anchoring Auteur(s): Blanc C., Vella A., Nobili M., Martinot-Largarde Ph. (Article) Publié: Molecular Crystals And Liquid Crystals, vol. 438 p.175[1739] (2005) Ref HAL: hal-01212023_v1 DOI: 10.1080/15421400590955686 WoS: 000230651900019 Exporter : BibTex | endNote 2 Citations Résumé: We have studied the dynamics of defects (disclinations and walls) which appear in a thin nematic cell with planar anchoring, after a quench from the isotropic phase. The transient texture can be analyzed in terms of ±1/2 disclinations and surface π-walls (corresponding to a π-rotation of the director in the plane of the cell). We determine the structure of the walls and explain the main features of the dynamics. The relaxation of the texture is largely dominated by surface effects, which control the relaxation trajectories and velocities of the disclinations, as well as the dynamics of π-walls. |