External and intrinsic anchoring in nematic liquid crystals: a Monte Carlo study

We present a Monte Carlo study of external surface anchoring in nematic cells with partially disordered solid substrates, as well as of intrinsic anchoring at free nematic interfaces. The simulations are based on the simple hexagonal lattice model with a spatially anisotropic intermolecular potential. We estimate the corresponding extrapolation length b by imposing an elastic deformation in a hybrid cell-like nematic sample. Our estimates for b increase with increasing surface disorder and are essentially temperature independent. Experimental values of b are approached only when both the coupling of nematic molecules with the substrate and the anisotropy of nematic-nematic interactions are weak.