Surface and flexoelectric polarization in a nematic liquid crystal directly measured by a pyroelectric technique

An alternative, pyroelectric effect based technique was developed for the d irect measurement of the surface polarization in homogeneously and homeotro pically oriented nematic cells as well as for the measurement of the flexoe lectric polarization in hybrid aligned nematic cells. The pyroelectric resp onse was measured with a modulated beam of a diode laser, absorbed by a dye incorporated in a standard liquid crystal 4-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl. The d ye provided a gradient of the temperature increment along the cell normal, which allowed for the separation of pyroelectric contributions from both th e opposite surfaces and the bulk. The signs and absolute magnitude of the p olarizations mentioned have been found over the entire temperature range of the nematic phase.