Small-angle light scattering and transmittance of polymer film, containing liquid crystal droplets with inhomogeneous boundary conditions

Light scattering by a monolayer of oriented liquid crystal (LC) droplets in polymer matrix is considered. A method for modeling transmittance and angular distribution of scattered light by a monolayer of LC droplets with cylindrical symmetry of the director configuration is developed. It is based on the anomalous diffraction and interference approximations. The internal structures of nematic LC droplets are calculated on base of the free energy minimization problem solution using the relaxation method. The results for monolayers of spherical LC droplets with homogeneous and inhomogeneous boundary conditions are obtained. It is shown that for monolayers containing droplets with inhomogeneous boundary conditions of the “tangential-normal” type there is an asymmetry of the angular structure of the transmitted light over the polar angle.

► We model light scattering by monolayer of liquid crystal droplets in polymer. ► Liquid crystal droplets with cylindrical internal symmetry are considered. ► Droplets with homogeneous and inhomogeneous boundary conditions are examined. ► Angular asymmetry of the transmitted light over the polar angle is observed.