On the Role of Polymers in the Electro-Optics of Composite Materials Created on the Basis of Nematic Liquid Crystals and Small Addiations of Polymers

Abstract
The paper investigates the electro-optics of nematic liquid crystals containing small polymer additives. Such materials include liquid crystals stabilized by polymer networks and liquid crystalline gels. For liquid crystals stabilized by polymer network, the electro-optical properties of the obtained material and pure liquid crystal are studied. The experimental results are explained by the domain structure of the nematic in the polymer network. The electro-optical properties of liquid crystalline gels are also studied. It is shown that the gelling agent strongly violates the orientation of liquid crystal. Thus, there are two systems of its areas. It is concluded that the small polymer additions in both cases divide liquid crystal into regions (domains) whose dimensions are smaller than the thickness of electro-optical cells and allow controlling the on and off times.

Keywords: polymer networks, liquid crystal gels, liquid crystals, electrooptics