Optical and resonant X-ray diffraction studies confirm a SmCFI2*-SmC* liquid crystal phase sequence reversal

Employing both null transmission ellipsometry and resonant x-ray diffraction, we confirmed the SmCFI2*-SmC* phase sequence reversal in one liquid crystal compound and specially prepared binary mixtures. This phase sequence reversal was predicted by two recent theoretical advances. Moreover, the temperature range for the SmCFI2* phase increases significantly in the mixture suggesting that such a phase sequence may exist in other compounds.