A WEAK SURFACE MEMORY EFFECT IN LIQUID-CRYSTAL CELLS WITH RUBBED POLYIMIDE LAYERS

For the first time we have observed a surface memory effect in liquid crystal cells where both surfaces consist of rubbed polymers. In this case the azimuthal orientation of the optical axis in the cell is unch anged, while the polar orientation of the optical axis in the cell cha nges. This change is brought about by imposing changes in the in-plane order of the molecules at the surface.