S. V. Siprova¹, A. I. Mashin¹, Dzh. Kidikimo², Dzh. De Fil'po², A. V. Korobkov¹

Author affiliations
¹Lovachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod
23 Prospekt Gagarina, 603950, Nizhni Novgorod, Russia. 
E-mail: siprova@phys.unn.ru
²University of Calabria,
Via Pietro Bucci, 87036 Arcavacada, Rende CS, Cosenza, Italy

Abstract
Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) films were prepared by polymerization induced phase separation method. Initial configurations of the director for the liquid crystal droplets inside the films were determined using a polarized microscope: stable structures, intermediate stable structures, unstable alignment structures. The effect of the electric field on the alignment structure of the droplets was investigated. Two mechanisms of droplets orientation by electric field such as smooth and stepwise were found. The observed processes were compared with the results of electro-optic studies.

Keywords: nematic liquid crystal, polymer, alignment structure, director, bipolar configuration, radial configuration, reorientation of liquid crystal by an electric field