Solitons in Liquid Crystals

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Liquid Crystal Phases.- 1.2 Solitons in Liquid Crystals.- References.- 2 Solitons and Field Induced Solitons in Liquid Crystals.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Solitons.- 2.3 Soliton Equations.- 2.4 Constructing Soliton Equations.- 2.5 Methods of Solving Soliton Equations.- 2.6 Formation of Solitons.- 2.7 Magnetic Field Induced Solitons in Nematics.- 2.8 Electric Field Induced Solitons in Liquid Crystals.- 2.9 Conclusions.- References.- 3 Solitons in Shearing Liquid Crystals.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Steady Uniform Shear I: One-Dimensional Case.- 3.3 Steady Uniform Shear II: Boundary Effects.- 3.4 Unsteady Uniform Shear.- 3.5 Steady Nonuniform Shear I: Linear Cell.- 3.6 Steady Nonuniform Shear II: Radial Cell.- 3.7 Conclusions.- References.- 4 Some Nonlinear Problems in Anisotropic Systems.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Nonlinear Aspects of Static Properties of Liquid Crystals.- 4.3 Nonlinear Macroscopic Dynamics of Liquid Crystals.- 4.4 Perspectives.- 4.5 Conclusions.- References.- 5 Solitary Waves in Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Equations of Motion in One Dimension.- 5.3 Wave Fronts in Infinite Systems.- 5.4 Director Reorientation in Finite Domains with Fixed Boundaries.- 5.5 Structures with Finite Interface Energies.- 5.6 Conclusions.- References.- 6 Frustrated Smectics.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 The Physics of Polar Smectics.- 6.3 Electric Properties of the Incommensurate Smectics.- 6.4 Escape from Incommensurability.- 6.5 Conclusions.- References.- 7 Soft Walls and Orientational Singularities in Two-Dimensional Liquid Crystal Films.- 7.1 Background.- 7.2 Experimental Techniques.- 7.3 Soft Tilt Director Walls in Ferroelectric Smectic C* Films.- 7.4 Characteristic Orientational Singularities in Tilted Hexatic Films.- 7.5 Concluding Remarks.- References.- 8 Charged Twist Walls in Nematic Liquid Crystals.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Experiment.- 8.3 Model.- 8.4 Conclusions.- References.- 9 Localized Instabilities in the Convection of Nematic Liquid Crystals.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Localized Instabilities in the Evolution to the Chaotic State.- 9.3 Theoretical Model: The Amplitude Equation.- 9.4 Convective Instabilities in Nematics Under A.C. Electric Fields.- 9.5 Sequence of Homogeneous Stationary States.- 9.6 Topology of Dislocations.- 9.7 Experimental Techniques.- 9.8 Nucleation of Dislocations in the Convective Rolls.- 9.9 Phase Propagation and Localization of a Convective Structure.- 9.10 Propagation of Solitary Rolls.- References.- 10 Solitons and Commensurate-Incommensurate Phase Transitions in Ferroelectric Smectics.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.3 The Chiral Smectic C—Smectic CPhase Transition.- 10.4 Incommensurate and Rippled Phases Without Lifshitz Invariant.- 10.5 Summary.- References.- Author Index.