Electro-capillary instability of a nematic-isotropic interface

Abstract : We have studied the morphological instability under AC electric field of a nematic-isotropic interface confined between two electrodes set at different temperatures. The electrodes are treated for homeotropic anchoring so that, when the field is increased, the Ericksen elastic stress vanishes. In this limit, the instability resembles that observed in ordinary liquids. However, significant differences were observed.