“Dancing” Two-dimensional Patterns in Nematics above the Flexoelectric Instability Threshold

Various types of electrohydrodynamic instabilities in liquid crystals are a recurring theme in liquid crystals research. The nonlinear stage of the flexoelectric instability in nematics remains the least studied aspect of this phenomenon. This work highlights a key advancement in nonlinear physics, providing a compelling example of nonlinear dynamical system behavior. By solving the system of nonlinear equations for a nematic in an alternating external field, we derive from first principles the unique “dancing” behavior of truly two-dimensional patterns above the flexoelectric instability threshold. Our analysis is restricted to liquid crystals with negative dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity anisotropies. The resulting solution represents a stable limit cycle near above the Hopf bifurcation, valid within the parameters range where the solutions characteristic exponent is complex. The generalized two-dimensional Ginzburg–Landau-like phenomenological theory of the phenomenon is developed.