Complete wetting transitions of nematic liquid crystals on a structured substrate

Abstract

In this article, we generalize Wenzel law, which assigns an effective contact angle for a droplet on a rough substrate, when the wetting layer has an ordered phase, like a nematic. We estimate the conditions for which the wetting behavior of an ordered fluid can be qualitatively different from the one usually found in a simple fluid. To particularize our general considerations, we will use the Landau-de Gennes mean field approach to investigate theoretically and numerically the complete wetting transition between a nematic liquid crystal and a saw-shaped structured substrate.