Abstract.
We investigate theoretically the wetting properties of cholesteric liquid crystals at a planar substrate. If the properties of substrate and of the interface are such that the cholesteric layers are not distorted, the wetting properties are similar to those of a nematic liquid crystal. If, on the other hand, the anchoring conditions force the distortion of the liquid crystal layers the wetting properties are altered, the free cholesteric-isotropic interface is non-planar and there is a layer of topological defects close to the substrate. These deformations can either promote or hinder the wetting of the substrate by a cholesteric, depending on the properties of the cholesteric liquid crystal.
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Silvestre, N., Figueirinhas Pereira, M., Bernardino, N. et al. Wetting of cholesteric liquid crystals. Eur. Phys. J. E 39, 13 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2016-16013-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2016-16013-x