Equilibrium distributions of electric field in a cell with adsorbed charge at the surfaces

Abstract

Ionic charge that is stuck at the solid-liquid surface attracts a diffuse layer of ions of the opposite sign in the liquid. The asymmetry in the electric field distribution that results when an applied field is combined with the intrinsic field in the diffuse charge layer has been cited as a possible cause of the dc switching effect observed in liquid crystal displays based on bistable boundary layer configurations [Robert B. Meyer and R. N. Thurston, Appl. Phys. Lett. 43, 342 (1983)]. Since the ratio of Debye screening length LD to cell depth d is an important parameter, it is useful to solve for the static equilibrium field distribution under constant voltage in a finite cell where LD/d is not small. This problem is solved here.