Undulatory instability of the nematic-isotropic interface

A linear stability analysis of the undulatory instability of the nematic-isotropic (N-I) interface under a vertical magnetic field is presented. It is shown that the boundary conditions on the lower surface of the nematic layer have a very significant influence on the threshold characteristics. Furthermore, in the case of homoetropic alignment, the interface is found to be spontaneously deformed if the thickness of the nematic layer is less than a critical value