Electro-optical Kerr effect of 6CHBT liquid crystal doped with MgO nanoparticles in different concentration

Abstract The Kerr constant and pre-transition temperature of pure liquid crystal, 6CHBT, and doped with different concentrations of MgO nanoparticles were investigated at temperatures above the nematic-isotropic transition temperature by using the nulled intensity method. The MgO nanoparticles were added to liquid crystal at three different concentrations of 0.1, 0.3 and 0.6 (wt.). The results showed that the Kerr constant increase by adding nanoparticles mass percentages up to a certain concentration and then remains constant. The linear dependence of (T-T*) on the Kerr constant is found to be in good agreement with predictions of Landau-De Gennes model.