1202.0687 (O. V. Manyuhina)

Saddle-splay elasticity and field induced soliton in nematics    [PDF]

O. V. Manyuhina

The symmetry breaking Freedericksz transitions, when a uniformly aligned
nematic state is replaced by a homogeneously or periodically distorted state,
have been extensively studied before. Here we analyse the influence of the
saddle-splay elasticity on the non-linear ground state of nematic liquid
crystal in presence of magnetic field above the Freedericksz threshold. We
identify the bifurcation point when the kink-soliton is linearly unstable with
respect to the perturbations of the wave vector in the direction perpendicular
to the initial plane of soliton. This instability occurs only if the ratio of
saddle-splay elastic constant to elastic modulus of nematics in one-constant
approximation is above the critical value |K_{24}/K|>0.707.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.0687