FLUCTUATIONS AND LIGHT-SCATTERING IN LIQUID-CRYSTALS

Theoretical and experimental problems of studying liquid crystals by means of the light scattering are discussed. Nematic. cholesteric and smectic liquid crystals in the ordered as well as anisotropic phase are considered. All types of order parameter fluctuations are described. The influence of such unusual properties as strong anisotropy, gyrotropy and one dimensional periodic structure of liquid crystals on the light-scattering process is considered in detail. The Green's function accounting for these properties are presented. A finite-size and the surface effect influence on the fluctuations and light-scattering processes are considered. The multiple scattering problem is discussed. The theoretical results are illustrated with experimental data.