Dynamical numerical model for nematic order reconstruction

In highly frustrated calamitic nematic liquid crystals, a strong elastic distortion can be confined on a few nanometers. The classical elastic theory fails to describe such systems and a more complete description based on the tensor order parameter $\mathbf{Q}$ is required. A finite element method is used to implement the $\mathbf{Q}$ dynamics by a variational principle and it is shown that a uniaxial nematic configuration can evolve passing through transient biaxial states. This solution, which connects two competing uniaxial nematic textures, is known as “nematic order reconstruction.”