| Liquid crystals have become a significant part of technology, mainly through their use in the display industry. This is due in part to the fact that the optical properties of liquid crystals are easily manipulated electronically. It has been recognized that the optical properties liquid crystals may also be controlled using light. Because of this, there are other various applications being explored for liquid crystals in photorefraction, optical limiting and switching, and in spatial light modulators.;Although, the photorefractive effect was reported in liquid crystals over 10 years ago, there is still controversy over the exact mechanism for the reorientation of the liquid crystal director. This difficulty may be due in part to the fact that it is difficult to characterize the effect using photorefractive measurements and figures of merit.;The optical and electronic control of liquid crystals will be studied here using a Friedericksz transition measurement in a twist cell geometry. This type of apparatus was chosen because it leads to a more direct demonstration of the surface effect. Namely, by studying changes in the Friedericksz transition threshold in a twist cell, a more direct observation of changes in the internal field may be observed.;First a brief introduction to liquid crystals and their role in technology will be presented. This will be followed by a more rigorous discussion of the physics of liquid crystals and a review of the important literature. The experimental apparatus and the materials and cell geometry used will be described followed by the results of those measurements. Finally, the results will be considered in terms of a model involving interfacial charge and discussed in the context of previous work. |
