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We use Landau–de Gennes theory to investigate the configurations of liquid crystals confined to a submicron spherical droplet subject to weak homeotropic anchoring. The results show that in a one-constant approximation, there are three equilibrium configurations: radial hedgehog, ring disclination and uniform, where the radial hedgehog configuration is a stable state. With increasing elastic anisotropy, which is essentially an increase in the splay elastic constant, the radial hedgehog configuration transforms into a split-core configuration, which is metastable. The split-core configuration becomes the lowest-energy state induced by saddle-splay elasticity within appropriate ranges of the radius and elastic anisotropy.

Stability of a split-core configuration induced by saddle-splay elasticity in a submicron nematic liquid crystal spherical droplet