We demonstrate that a compact manometer experiment allows direct observation of a delay to the classical electric-field-induced Freedericksz transition produced by flow in a highly dispersive nematic liquid crystal layer. The Ericksen-Leslie equations are used to show that a flow aligning torque generated in the nematic layer under Poiseuille flow competes with the orthogonal electric-field reorientation torque. This model fully reproduces the experimental results using only self-consistently determined viscosity values, and predicts a more generally applicable expression for the dependence of the delay $E_c\propto \sqrt{\zeta /\mathrm{\Delta }{\chi }_e}$ on the shear rate $\zeta$ and on the electric susceptibility anisotropy $\mathrm{\Delta }{\chi }_e$.

• Received 25 September 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.93.030701

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Published by the American Physical Society