Tilted Photoalignment of a Nematic Liquid Crystal Induced by a Magnetic Field

Nematic liquid crystal cells with polyvinyl cinnamate coated substrates were subjected to ultraviolet light. When this was done in the presence of an oblique magnetic field the photoalignment was found to be temporally and thermally robust, with a large pretilt angle and weak polar anchoring. Moreover, two easy axes with equal and opposite pretilt angle were obtained, such that a magnetic field could switch the director from one easy axis to the other. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.</p