Deuterium NMR spectroscopy has been used to investigate the director dynami
cs in the nematic liquid crystal, 4-pentyl-4 ' -cyanobiphenyl, confined bet
ween two glass plates and subject to orthogonal magnetic and pulsed electri
c fields. When the pulsed electric field, whose intensity is strong enough
to make the director align normal to the magnetic field, is applied to the
nematic film, the director moves from being parallel to the magnetic field
to being parallel to the electric field. After the pulsed electric field is
switched off, the director relaxes back to being parallel to the magnetic
field. Deuterium NMR spectra were recorded during the turn-off realignment
process as a function of time. With this experimental geometry the director
alignment is not unique as it can rotate equally probably clockwise or cou
nterclockwise in this realignment process. That is, the realignment pathway
for the director is degenerate, which establishes a director flow pattern.
We have studied the time dependence of the director orientation and distri
bution for the turn-off process. The deuterium NMR spectra corresponding to
the director dynamics in the realignment pathways were predicted by a cont
inuum theory analysis including a time dependent viscous torque with an eff
ective rotational viscosity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese
rved.