Abstract

Since 1979, considerable effort has been expended by many researchers in analyzing the purely optical-field-induced molecular reorientation in a homeotropically oriented nematic liquid crystal (NLC) by a normally incident light wave.^1-4 Recently, the exact solution which is consistent with Maxwell's equations for describing the orientation of the molecule was obtained by Ong.⁵ In this paper, we shall discuss the exact solution describing the orientation of the director. In particular, by examining the deformation angle near the threshold, the criterion for the existence of a first-order Freedericksz transition is obtained.

© 1983 Optical Society of America