PREWETTING TRANSITION INDUCED BY AN EXTERNAL BULK FIELD

The Landau-de Gennes model of the boundary layer phase transition in n ematic liquid crystals is extended to include electric held effects. C alculations are performed in the case of a semi-infinite nematic sampl e bounded by a solid wall. The phase diagrams presented show that the prewetting transition can be induced by the electric held. The transit ion moves to higher temperature with increasing held and disappears ab ove the prewetting critical point. A system exhibiting partial wetting should transit to complete wetting under a high enough electric field . These predictions are confirmed within the actual experimental limit s.