Magnetotorsion Mode in Low-Frequency Response of Magnetized Nematic Liquid Crystals

A low-frequency magnetomechanical oscillatory response of a nematic liquid crystal with positive diamagnetic anisotropy is studied whose reactive force is dominated by antisymmetric stresses originating from magnetic polarizability of nematic soft matter. It is found that a uniformly magnetized nematic matter possesses capability of transmitting a transverse magneto-torsion wave in which the velocity of vortical flow and director undergo coupled oscillations in the plane perpendicular to the axis of magnetization and traveling along the applied magnetic field. The dispersion equation characterizing propagation of this wave is obtained, followed by a brief discussion of possible experimental identification of the magnetotorsion mode.