Periodic anchoring condition for alignment of a short pitch cholesteric liquid crystal in uniform lying helix texture

Due to flexoelectricity, a cholesteric liquid crystal unidirectionally aligned in a sandwich cell, with its helix lying parallel to the confining cell substrates, exhibit a flexoelectro-optic response when subjected to an electric field applied perpendicular to the helix axis. The clarity of the flexoelectro-optic response is dependent on the quality of the uniformly lying helix texture of the cholesteric which often is difficult to achieve. Herein, a method for alignment of a short pitch cholesteric in such a texture by means of a periodic surface anchoring condition with periodicity matching that of the cholesteric liquid crystal is described.