Analysis of electrical response of nematic liquid crystal by ellipsometry

Abstract The electrical responses of the LC directors at the bulk and near the surface were investigated by the transmission and the total reflection ellipsometries, respectively. The dynamic response of the δ on the electric field was measured by the transmission ellipsometry. The optical bounce of δ was observed as soon as the high voltage was removed from the LC cell. This bounce is caused by the flow effect in the LC. Since the static response of δ on the electric field measured by the total reflection ellipsometry depended on the interfacial LC director reorientation, the polar anchoring strength of the LC cell was evaluated quantitatively.