Unusual thickness-dependent thermal behavior in chiral smectic free-standing liquid-crystal films
Journal
Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals
Journal Volume
412
Pages
393/[2003]-400/[2010]
Date Issued
2004
Author(s)
Abstract
We observe, in free-standing films of a chiral smectic liquid crystal, a series of discrete transitions in the relative orientation of the tilt of the interior and surface layers. These transitions include a remarkable reentrant synclinic-anticlinic-synclinic ordering sequence of the film surfaces in the presence of an electric field upon cooling. The profiles of the associated heat-capacity anomalies are found to be strongly thickness-dependent and exhibit a novel crossover behavior in reduced dimensions.
Type
conference paper