Abstract
Depolarized reflected light microscopy and high resolution optical reflectivity measurements have been conducted on free-standing films of an achiral four-ring hockey stick shaped liquid crystal exhibiting SmA-B2-SmX* transition sequence. A layer thinning transition above the bulk isotropic-SmA phase transition has been observed. This behaviour was highly irreproducible, indicating an irregular layer thinning transition. From optical reflectivity data, both thickness of the free-standing films and the smectic interlayer spacing were determined. This is the first report of the layer thinning transition in a hockey stick shaped liquid crystal.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1070-1078 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Phase Transitions |
| Volume | 85 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2012 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:M.K. Paul, a BOYSCAST fellow, thanks the Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi for his fellowship. This study was supported in part by Fast Track Project (DST)
Funding Information:
Grant no. SR/FTP/CS-43/2006 and National Science Foundation, Solid State Chemistry Program under Grant no. 0605760. Financial assistance provided by DST, DAE and UGC is gratefully acknowledged.
Keywords
- Free-standing film
- Hockey stick shaped liquid crystal
- Intercalated smectic A phase
- Optical reflectivity
- Thinning transition