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Write and erase mechanism of surface controlled bistable nematic pixel
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 1999
Abstract
Recently a new nematic bistable pixel, using simple monostable planar anchorings, has beenproposed [4−6]. This pixel can be switched between two textures, having the same boundary conditionsbut different optical properties: one texture (U) is undistorted, whereas the other one (T) ischaracterized by the presence of a half-turn twist. The U → T switching was obtained by abruptlydropping the driving electric field. A slow decrease of the driving electric field favors the T → Utransition. The electric field fall rate discriminates the kind of coupling between the boundary surfaces,hydrodynamic or elastic. Here we show the same behavior of this system by using square electric fieldpulses. We present experimental results concerning the critical values (amplitude and duration) of thedriving signals, for which the elastic and the hydrodynamic effects are balanced and we measure theiroptimized values. Our results are in reasonable agreement with the theoretical predictions obtained by asimplified model.
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- © EDP Sciences, 1999
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