Search

Reflective liquid crystal displays are attracting attention as portable information systems because of zero- or extremely low power consumption. In this study, we deal with an electrode-free reflec...

The interplay between volume and surface interactions in polymer-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals often results in the so-called quasi-bookshelf or tilted layer structure. Unambiguous description of the most probable orientation of the long molecular axes within a ferroelectric liquid crystal cell (director profile) stabilized by polymer network implies the consideration of the confined volume effects. The model of polymer-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal cell with a quasi-bookshelf layer structure was investigated by using the liquid crystal continuum theory. Promising applications of the biaxial surface potential for preparation of ferroelectric liquid crystal cells with the desired surface parameters has motivated us to embark upon the proposed model. To fully consider the surface effects, the proposed model accounts splay deformation of the spontaneous polarization. This enables us to estimate the effective applied voltage across the cell. The effect of polymer stabilization on the director orientation profiles across the cell was examined. We have found that the director-polymer network interaction coefficient induces insignificant difference between the director orientation profiles. We believe that this theoretical model can be useful for fabrication of experimental ferroelectric liquid crystal cells.

A practical approach to the search for (quasi-) discrete breathers (DBs) in a triangular β-FPUT lattice (after Fermi, Pasta, Ulam, and Tsingou) is proposed. DBs are obtained by superimposing localizing functions on delocalized nonlinear vibrational modes (DNVMs) having frequencies above the phonon spectrum of the lattice. Zero-dimensional and one-dimensional DBs are obtained. The former ones are localized in both spatial dimensions, and the latter ones are only in one dimension. Among the one-dimensional DBs, two families are considered: the first is based on the DNVMs of a triangular lattice, and the second is based on the DNVMs of a chain. We speculate that our systematic approach on the triangular β-FPUT lattice reveals all possible types of spatially localized oscillations with frequencies bifurcating from the upper edge of the phonon band as all DNVMs with frequencies above the phonon band are analyzed. Nanyang Technological University Published version The authors acknowledge the financial support from Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute. Research of E.G.S. was carried out at National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University within the framework of a Tomsk Polytechnic University Competitiveness Enhancement Program grant.

Photoalignment of liquid crystals by using azo dye molecules is a commonly proposed alternative to traditional rubbing alignment methods. Photoalignment mechanism can be well described in terms of rotational diffusion of azo dye molecules exposed by ultraviolet polarized light. A specific feature of the irradiated light is the intensity dependent change of azimuthal anchoring of liquid crystals. While there are various mechanisms of azo dye photoalignment, photo-reorientation occurs when dye molecules orient themselves perpendicular to the polarization of incident light. In this review, we describe both recent achievements in applications of photoaligned liquid crystal cells and its simulation. A variety of display and photonic devices with azo dye aligned nematic and ferroelectric liquid crystals are presented: q-plates, optically rewritable flexible e-paper (monochromatic and color), and Dammann gratings. Some theoretical aspects of the alignment process and display simulation are also considered.

The equilibration of sinusoidally modulated distribution of the kinetic temperature is analyzed in the $\beta$-Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou chain with different degrees of nonlinearity and for different wavelengths of temperature modulation. Two different types of initial conditions are used to show that either one gives the same result as the number of realizations increases and that the initial conditions that are closer to the state of thermal equilibrium give faster convergence. The kinetics of temperature equilibration is monitored and compared to the analytical solution available for the linear chain in the continuum limit. The transition from ballistic to diffusive thermal conductivity with an increase in the degree of anharmonicity is shown. In the ballistic case, the energy equilibration has an oscillatory character with an amplitude decreasing in time, and in the diffusive case, it is monotonous in time. For smaller wavelength of temperature modulation, the oscillatory character of temperature equilibration remains for a larger degree of anharmonicity. For a given wavelength of temperature modulation, there is such a value of the anharmonicity parameter at which the temperature equilibration occurs most rapidly., Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures; matches the published version

This paper examines different applications of ferroelectric liquid crystal devices based on photo-alignment. Successful application of the photo-alignment technique is considered to be a critical breakthrough. A variety of display and photonic devices with azo dye aligned ferroelectric liquid crystals is presented: smart glasses, liquid crystal Pancharatnam–Berry phase optical elements, 2D/3D switchable lenses, and laser therapy devices. Comparison of electro-optical behavior of ferroelectric liquid crystals is described considering the performance of devices. This paper facilitates the optimization of device design, and broadens the possible applications in the display and photonic area.

In this study we use the fractional Levy stable motion (fLsm) to establish a finite iterative forecasting model with Long Range Dependent (LRD) characteristics. The LRD forecasting model considers the influence of current and past trends in stochastic sequences on future trends. We find that the discussed model can accurately forecast the trends of stochastic sequences. This fact enables us to introduce the fLsm as the fractional-order model of Levy stable motion. Self-similarity and LRD characteristics of the flsm model is introduced by using the relationship between self-similar index and the characteristic index. Thus, the order Stochastic Differential Equation (FSDE) which describes the fLsm can be obtained. The parameters of the FSDE were estimated by using a novel characteristic function method. The forecasting model with the LRD characteristics was obtained by discretization of FSDE. The Monte Carlo method was applied to demonstrate the feasibility of the forecasting model. The power load forecasting history data demonstrates the advantages of our model.

Recent theoretical developments regarding the understanding of weakly chaotic transients in ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs), induced by electric field, are studied in terms of the interaction with magnetic field. Our research is related with the nonlinear dynamical system represented by a thin film of surface-stabilized FLC in smectic C* phase, and subjected by the swinging magnetic field. The computation of the Lyapunov exponents from the dynamic equation for the director field reveals that the director dynamics exhibits limit cycle, hyperchaotic attractor and strange attractor behavior in the dissipative nonlinear media. The transients between director’s phase space trajectories can be handled by the magnetic field parameters. The fundamental understanding of the director dynamics may have a valuable contribution to the applications of thin liquid crystal films.

In this contribution we report a theoretical study of relaxation processes in surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals with spontaneous polarization. The influence of pulsed electric field on the behavior of ferroelectric liquid crystal in the SmC* phase, which is placed in a thin cell with strong anchoring of SmC* molecules with the boundary substrate, is studied. In the vicinity of the substrate interface, temporal dependence of the azimuthal motion of the director induced by electric field is obtained. The response to the external distortion of ferroelectric liquid crystal confined between two microstructured substrates is the occurrence of periodic temporal formation of solitons connected with the distortion of the director field n in the sample bulk. The interplay between microstructured substrates and director distribution of the ferroelectric SmC* phase is explained by the Frenkel–Kontorova model for a chain of atoms, but adapted for the continuum problem.

The interest in discrete breathers (DB), i.e. a time-periodic and spatially localized vibrational mode in a defect free nonlinear lattice, is related to their ability to localize vibrational energy of the order of several eV. In the present work, for the first time, a systematic study of eight nonlinear vibrational modes localized in one spatial dimension and delocalized in the two other dimensions is performed by means of molecular dynamics simulations in defect-free single crystals of fcc metals (Al, Cu and Ni). For this goal, the standard embedded atom method potentials are employed. Calculations are performed at a zero temperature in three-dimensional computational cells. Excitation of DBs takes place via displacement of the specified atoms from their equilibrium lattice sites according to the patterns corresponding to the delocalized nonlinear vibrational modes (DNVMs) found earlier for a two-dimensional triangular lattice. It is revealed that only four out of the eight studied DNVMs can support stable two-dimensional DBs with the lifetimes in the range of 24–47 ps and accumulate vibrational energy of the order of 2 eV per atom. All excited DBs are characterized by a hard type of nonlinearity, i.e. the frequency increases with the increasing oscillation amplitude. Obtained results indicate the presence of a wide variety of nonlinear, spatially localized vibrational modes in three-dimensional lattices of fcc metals.

In this paper, a novel method base on non-Markovian Fractional Brownian Motion (FBM) is proposed for Lithium-ion batteries remaining useful life (RUL) prediction. Firstly, the FBM degradation model is introduced and the Hurst exponent (H) is calculated. Secondly, the parameters of the FBM model are estimated by maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). The Fruit-fly Optimization Algorithm (FOA) is proposed to optimize the H. Then the procedure for RUL prediction is provided. Capacity degradation data of Lithium-ion batteries is selected as prediction case, and the RUL prediction results are given by two real cases of RUL prediction for lithium-ion batteries. The validity of the proposed method is verified by several evaluation criteria.

Discrete breathers (DBs), also called intrinsic localized modes (ILMs), are spatially localized, large-amplitude vibrational modes in nonlinear lattices. Rod-like discrete breathers (DBs) have been reported in fcc Ni and bcc Nb by Haas et al. in 2011 based on molecular dynamics simulations. Here we use a general approach to find new type DBs in bcc V and Nb. In this approach, we firstly find the lattice symmetry dictated exact solutions to the equations of atomic motion in the form of delocalized nonlinear vibrational modes (DNVMs). Secondly, a localizing function with spherical symmetry is imposed over the DNVMs. Parameter of the localizing function is chosen such that the obtained DB has a long lifetime. The results presented in this work demonstrate that pure metals can support a variety of DBs. Interatomic potentials have a strong effect on the DB lifetime. Maximal DB lifetime in V is two orders of magnitude larger than that in Nb. The results of this study are interesting for the theory of DBs, and also they will help to better understand the impact of DBs on the physical properties of metals.

Surface Plasma resonance (SPR) sensors combined with biological receptors are widely used in biosensors. Due to limitations of measurement techniques, small-scale, low accuracy, and sensitivity to the refractive index of solution in traditional SPR prism sensor arise. As a consequence, it is difficult to launch commercial production of SPR sensors. The theory of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) developed based on SPR theory has stronger coupling ability to near-field photons. Based on the LSPR sensing theory, we propose a submicron-sized golden-disk and graphene composite structure. By varying the thickness and diameter of the array disk, the performance of the LSPR sensor can be optimized. A graphene layer sandwiched between the golden-disk and the silver film can prevent the latter from oxidizing. Symmetrical design enables high-low concentration of dual-channel distributed sensing. As the fixed light source, we use a 632.8-nm laser. A golden nano-disk with 45 nm thickness and 70 nm radius is designed, using a finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation system. When the incident angle is 42°, the figure of merit (FOM) reaches 8826, and the measurable refractive index range reaches 0.2317.

Light transmittance of a short-pitch deformed-helix ferroelectric liquid crystal cell was numerically studied when low and high voltage frequencies ( $\simeq 1$ kHz and $\simeq 100$ kHz, respectively) are applied to the cell. The reported finding in the decay of light transmittance at increasing frequency is obtained due to reasonable simplifications of the temporal dependence of director's azimuthal angle. By taking experimentally known data, we numerically demonstrate that the increase in temperature of ferroelectric liquid crystals yields an insignificant change of light transmittance within all visible spectra.

New areas of application in the realms of fast phase modulators are stimulating fundamental studies in ferroelectric liquid crystalline materials. Investigation of temperature effect on light transmittance in vertically aligned deformed helix ferroelectric liquid crystal cell is the focus of our study. A fairly linear Kerr constant temperature dependence for two ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures was analyzed by using linear regression analysis. The key result of this paper represents light transmittance dependencies as a function of squared electric field for a certain temperature range. We also report that strongly pronounced Kerr constant temperature dependence results in several temperatures with 2[Formula: see text] and higher phase modulation for the given electric field. The physics of change in light transmission plots has been analyzed.

The effects in electrostatic models of chevron surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals are investigated through numerical modeling. To study smectic C* director distribution within the cell, we consider two nonlinear approaches: the chevron interface does not interplay with the electric field; the electric field interplays with the chevron interface. The obtained results of the director field distribution are compared with the earlier linearized studies. We find that whether or not the electric field interplays with the chevron interface, the electro–optic response requires a generalized approach for its description. The threshold electric field, which is necessary for switching between two stable director states in the chevron cell is evaluated. This study suggests that, in many cases of practical interest, electro–optic response to the electric field and the threshold electric field can be precisely estimated. We argue that, beside being numerically efficient, our approach provides a convenient and a novel standpoint for looking at the electro–optic response problem.