Manipulating Interference Pattern of Liquid Crystal Using Magnetic Fields with Spatially Varying Intensity and Direction

We examine the interplay between spatially varying magnetic fields and liquid crystal (LC) director fields through a combination of energy minimization simulations and polarized optical microscopy (POM) experiments. Our approach involves the simulation and prediction of spatially complex magnetic fields produced by interactions with magnetic microstructures, and the modeling of the LC director field and its anisotropic behavior through numerical relaxation of the Landau-de Gennes free energy. We investigate interference patterns of LC under single-wavelength light, offering insights into the dynamic responses of the LC director field resulting from the balance between the temperature-dependent elasticity of LC and magnetostatics. This work contributes to our comprehension of interactions between magnetic elements and LCs, potentially paving the way for the development of innovative LC-based technologies and devices. We envision that these tailored LC textures can be integrated with the thermomechanical, thermochromic, and optical properties of polymeric materials.