Liquid crystal alignment control using polymer filament and polymer layers coated on substrates

We investigated liquid crystal (LC) alignment in LC cells containing an aligned cellulose filament sandwiched by thin polymer layers coated on substrates. Three types of polymer material, namely polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyimide (PI), were used as polymer layers. LC alignment areas induced on both sides of the filament were large in the order of PS, PVA and PI. In the case of the PS layer, the average LC alignment area reached approximately 100 μm in the direction perpendicular to the polymer filament. The molecular interaction between the LC and the PS layer is thought to be weak and it does not disturb the LC alignment due to the polymer filament. On the other hand, rubbed PS layers were used as polymer layers of the LC cell, where the LC alignment direction induced by the rubbed PS layer was perpendicular to the polymer filament. It was found that the LC alignment near the polymer filament gradually bent in the cell plane. The result suggests that various three-dimensional LC alignments can be realized by the combination of the polymer filament and substrate surface.