Zp. Zhang et al., SUBSTRATE-INDUCED BULK ALIGNMENT OF LIQUID-CRYSTALS, Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics, 53(3), 1996, pp. 2461-2465
The Gay-Berne model for liquid crystals in the presence of a substrate
surface is studied using the hybrid Monte Carlo method. A simple non-
mean-field substrate-molecule potential is proposed to describe the ef
fects of rubbed polymer-coated substrates on the liquid crystals. Effe
cts of the substrate surface on the bulk alignment of the liquid cryst
als are studied. It is found that the bulk pretilt angle is controlled
by the surface through the orientation of the adsorbed liquid crystal
monolayer. This is consistent with the results of recent experimental
studies.