Properties of Hybrid Aligned Nematic (HAN) LC Layers with Both Fixed and Unfixed Boundary Conditions

An important case of an LC layer with non-fixed LC orientation on one cell's substrate at varying LC pretilt angle on another substrate is considered. It corresponds to the de Gennes coherence length dependence on boundary conditions. Structure and optical properties of such layers are described vs. the layer thickness, fixed pretilt angle value, light beam incidence angle. The LC elastic and dielectric properties as well as applied voltage are taken into account.