Surface structures and transitions in the smectic-C^* phase of one chiral liquid crystal compound
Abstract
Differential optical reflectivity, null transmission ellipsometry and depolarized reflected light microscopy have been conducted on free-standing films with thicknesses ranging from 14 to 465 layers of one chiral liquid crystal compound. The following two conclusions are drawn in the temperature window between the SmC^*_α and SmC^*_FI2 phases. First, we characterize the phase as a SmC^* phase with a short optical pitch, which is about 75 layers (300nm), while an additional ferri phase was identified by previous pyroelectric effect studies. Second, the tilt in adjacent surface layers is found to be anticlinic. Upon cooling, the anticlinic surface layers grow from the surfaces toward the interior of the film by inverting surface layers. A rapid growth of the surface layers has been observed as the sample approaches the SmC^*_FI2 phase.
- Publication:
-
APS March Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- March 2002
- Bibcode:
- 2002APS..MARM26011H