On the Mechanism of Shear Induced Texture Changes in Cholesterics-Electric Field Effects

Abstract Cholesteric systems are being used for display devices because they form several textures each having different optical properties. These textures are: Grandjean (highly reflective); focal conic (highly scattering); and homeotropic (practically transparent). In earlier papers, we have shown that shear induced transitions between these textures can be produced. These transitions are accompanied by color changes in the Grandjean texture and normal forces generated during shear. These effects can be explained in terms of the response of a correlated helical structure in the cholesteric mesophase to external stimuli. The shear induced transition associated with normal force generation is between the focal conic and homeotropic texture. In an effort to understand the responses of the cholesteric system to multiple stimuli, studies have been extended to include electric field effects. This work reports on the effects of an electric field on the dynamic focal conic to homeotropic transition examined as ...