scholarly journals Effects of spatially-varying substrate anchoring on instabilities and dewetting of thin nematic liquid crystal films

Soft Matter ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (44) ◽  
pp. 10187-10197
Author(s):  
Michael-Angelo Y.-H. Lam ◽  
Lou Kondic ◽  
Linda J. Cummings
Keyword(s):  
Free Surface ◽  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystal ◽  
Surface Evolution ◽  
Liquid Crystal Films ◽  
Crystal Films ◽  
Spatially Varying ◽  
Variable Substrate

We investigate (theoretically and numerically) free surface evolution of nematic liquid crystal films in the presence of variable substrate anchoring.

Three-dimensional coating flow of nematic liquid crystal on an inclined substrate

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 647-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. LAM ◽  
L. J. CUMMINGS ◽  
T.-S. LIN ◽  
L. KONDIC
Keyword(s):  
Free Surface ◽  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystal ◽  
Nonlinear Partial Differential Equation ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Travelling Wave ◽  
Linear Stability Theory ◽  
Newtonian Flow ◽  
Surface Evolution ◽  
Coating Flow

We consider a coating flow of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) fluid film on an inclined substrate. Exploiting the small aspect ratio in the geometry of interest, a fourth-order nonlinear partial differential equation is used to model the free surface evolution. Particular attention is paid to the interplay between the bulk elasticity and the anchoring conditions at the substrate and free surface. Previous results have shown that there exist two-dimensional travelling wave solutions that translate down the substrate. In contrast to the analogous Newtonian flow, such solutions may be unstable to streamwise perturbations. Extending well-known results for Newtonian flow, we analyse the stability of the front with respect to transverse perturbations. Using full numerical simulations, we validate the linear stability theory and present examples of downslope flow of nematic liquid crystal in the presence of both transverse and streamwise instabilities.

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