In a homeotropic nematic cell, a solitarylike director wave is excited by a mechanical method. Three photographs of the wave propagation process and measured velocity-time dependence curves are presented. By means of the interference patterns of focused polarized light, it was found that the dark lines observed in white-light photographs correspond to a perpendicular alignment state of the director.

• Received 7 May 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.49.1332