Anisotropic Domain Growth in the Bistable Cholesteric Twist Cell

We describe anisotropic domain shapes which occur in a first order phase transition between two configurations of the bistable cholesteric twist cell. A Wulff plot analysis is described in which equilibrium domain shapes can be constructed from previously reported data on the anisotrophy of the domain wall tension. The predictions for the equilibrium shape are in qualitative agreement with the domain shapes observed growing in the absence of an applied field. The shapes of the experimentally observed growing domains depend on the two operating parameters of the cell: the thickness to pitch ratio and the voltage. We also describe a situation in which we can adjust the voltage to halt the domain growth and thus a true experimental equilibrium shape is obtained. Small differences are observed between the equilibrium shape and the kinetic one, but the main features are preserved.