SAW study of structural changes in liquid crystals doped with carbon nanotubes induced by electric and magnetic fields

Surface acoustic waves (SAW) are used to study structural changes induced by electric and weak magnetic fields in the nematic liquid crystal (6CHBT) doped with low concentration (1×10
⁻³
, 1×10
⁻⁴
, 1×10
⁻⁵
) of carbon nanotubes, both single-walled (SWCNT), multi-walled (MWCNT) and functionalized with Fe
3
O
4
particles. The role of temperature, concentration and functionalization on structural changes was determined using measurements of the SAW attenuation response to applied fields. The obtained results confirmed that carbon nanotubes manifest an effective orientational coupling between both electric and magnetic moments of carbon nanotubes and the director of the LC.