The Optical Response of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals

Abstract A simple model is proposed to describe the electrooptic response of polymer dispersed liquid crystals. A hierarchy of order parameters is introduced to describe orientational order on different length scales. External fields reorient the liquid crystal in the inclusions, and thus alter the orientational order. The resulting changes in the dielectric and optical properties of the sample are taken into account via changes in the order parameters. The transmittance of PDLC films is considered as a function of static and time dependent magnetic and electric fields.

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