Domains in Liquid Crystals

A regular domain pattern has been observed to form in nematic liquid crystals when an electric field is applied. The domains are visible in unpolarized light by either transmission or reflection. Both ac and dc fields produce similar domain patterns and these appear at a rather sharp threshold field of about 1000 V/cm. The general features of the phenomenon have been investigated. It is believed that the domains are due to ordering in the liquid of a kind which has not previously been recognized.