Deformation-induced orientational transitions in liquid crystals elastomer

(Received 23 June 1993, revised 29 September 1993, accepted 4 October 1993)

Abstract
Solid liquid crystals, formed by crosslinking polymeric nematics into elastomers are shown to display novel and complex elasticity. The internal (nematic) direction can experience a barrier to its rotation which couples to standard elasticity. We investigate this elasticity by considering imposed strains and demonstrate several new orientational phase transitions, caused by the interaction between applied stress fields and bulk barriers to rotation.