The limits of flexoelectricity in liquid crystals
The flexoelectric conversion of mechanical to electrical energy in nematic liquid crystals is investigated using continuum theory. Since the electrical energy produced cannot exceed the mechanical energy supplied, and vice-versa, upper bounds are imposed on the magnitudes of the flexoelectric coeffi...
Main Authors: | , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
AIP Publishing LLC
2011-09-01
|
Series: | AIP Advances |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3624725 |
id |
doaj-3ac667e10d7747f38c6defc51ee5d3b7 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-3ac667e10d7747f38c6defc51ee5d3b72020-11-25T01:03:14ZengAIP Publishing LLCAIP Advances2158-32262011-09-0113032120032120-410.1063/1.3624725020103ADVThe limits of flexoelectricity in liquid crystalsF. Castles0S. M. Morris1H. J. Coles2Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA, United KingdomCentre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA, United KingdomCentre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA, United KingdomThe flexoelectric conversion of mechanical to electrical energy in nematic liquid crystals is investigated using continuum theory. Since the electrical energy produced cannot exceed the mechanical energy supplied, and vice-versa, upper bounds are imposed on the magnitudes of the flexoelectric coefficients in terms of the elastic and dielectric coefficients. For conventional values of the elastic and dielectric coefficients, it is shown that the flexoelectric coefficients may not be larger than a few tens of pC/m. This has important consequences for the future use of such flexoelectric materials in devices and the related energetics of distorted equilibrium structures.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3624725 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
F. Castles S. M. Morris H. J. Coles |
spellingShingle |
F. Castles S. M. Morris H. J. Coles The limits of flexoelectricity in liquid crystals AIP Advances |
author_facet |
F. Castles S. M. Morris H. J. Coles |
author_sort |
F. Castles |
title |
The limits of flexoelectricity in liquid crystals |
title_short |
The limits of flexoelectricity in liquid crystals |
title_full |
The limits of flexoelectricity in liquid crystals |
title_fullStr |
The limits of flexoelectricity in liquid crystals |
title_full_unstemmed |
The limits of flexoelectricity in liquid crystals |
title_sort |
limits of flexoelectricity in liquid crystals |
publisher |
AIP Publishing LLC |
series |
AIP Advances |
issn |
2158-3226 |
publishDate |
2011-09-01 |
description |
The flexoelectric conversion of mechanical to electrical energy in nematic liquid crystals is investigated using continuum theory. Since the electrical energy produced cannot exceed the mechanical energy supplied, and vice-versa, upper bounds are imposed on the magnitudes of the flexoelectric coefficients in terms of the elastic and dielectric coefficients. For conventional values of the elastic and dielectric coefficients, it is shown that the flexoelectric coefficients may not be larger than a few tens of pC/m. This has important consequences for the future use of such flexoelectric materials in devices and the related energetics of distorted equilibrium structures. |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3624725 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT fcastles thelimitsofflexoelectricityinliquidcrystals AT smmorris thelimitsofflexoelectricityinliquidcrystals AT hjcoles thelimitsofflexoelectricityinliquidcrystals AT fcastles limitsofflexoelectricityinliquidcrystals AT smmorris limitsofflexoelectricityinliquidcrystals AT hjcoles limitsofflexoelectricityinliquidcrystals |
_version_ |
1725201574201917440 |