Surface and finite-size effects on N-Sm-A-Sm-C phase transitions in free-standing films

被引:4
作者
de Oliveira, E. J. L. [1 ]
de Melo, D. C. S. [1 ]
Pereira, Maria S. S. [1 ]
Evangelista, L. R. [2 ]
de Oliveira, I. N. [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Fed Alagoas, Inst Fis, BR-57072970 Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil
[2] Univ Estadual Maringa, Dept Fis, BR-87020900 Maringa, Parana, Brazil
关键词
1ST-ORDER SMECTIC-A; LIQUID-CRYSTAL; MOLECULAR THEORY; INDUCED TILT; BEHAVIOR; FLUCTUATIONS; ORDER; CROSSOVER; MODEL;
D O I
10.1103/PhysRevE.102.022702
中图分类号
O35 [流体力学]; O53 [等离子体物理学];
学科分类号
070204 ; 080103 ; 080704 ;
摘要
The present study is devoted to the investigation of surface anchoring and finite-size effects on nematic-smectic-A-smectic-C (N-Sm-A-Sm-C) phase transitions in free-standing films. Using an extended version of the molecular theory for smectic-C liquid crystals, we analyze how surface anchoring and film thickness affect the thermal behavior of the order parameters in free-standing smectic films. In particular, we determine how the transition temperature depends on the surface ordering and film thickness. We show that the additional orientational order imposed by the surface anchoring may lead to a stabilization of order parameters in central layers, thus modifying the nature of the phase transitions. We compare our results with experimental findings for typical thermotropic compounds presenting a N -Sm-A-Sm-C phase sequence.
引用
收藏
页数:9
相关论文
共 59 条
  • [1] SMECTIC-A ORDER AT THE SURFACE OF A NEMATIC LIQUID-CRYSTAL - SYNCHROTRON X-RAY-DIFFRACTION
    ALSNIELSEN, J
    CHRISTENSEN, F
    PERSHAN, PS
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 1982, 48 (16) : 1107 - 1110
  • [2] Nonchiral ferroelectric smectic-C films
    Andreeva, PO
    Dolganov, VK
    Gors, C
    Fouret, R
    Kats, EI
    [J]. JETP LETTERS, 1998, 67 (10) : 856 - 862
  • [3] Polarization in free standing chiral and nonchiral smectic films
    Andreeva, PO
    Dolganov, VK
    Gors, C
    Fouret, R
    Kats, EI
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW E, 1999, 59 (04): : 4143 - 4152
  • [4] INFLUENCE OF DIMENSIONALITY AND SURFACE ORDERING ON PHASE-TRANSITIONS - STUDIES OF FREELY-SUSPENDED LIQUID-CRYSTAL FILMS
    BAHR, C
    [J]. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MODERN PHYSICS B, 1994, 8 (22): : 3051 - 3082
  • [5] BEHAVIOR OF A SURFACE PHASE-TRANSITION IN FREELY SUSPENDED LIQUID-CRYSTAL FILMS
    BAHR, C
    BOOTH, CJ
    FLIEGNER, D
    GOODBY, JW
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW E, 1995, 52 (05) : R4612 - R4615
  • [6] BEHAVIOR OF A 1ST-ORDER SMECTIC-A-SMECTIC-C TRANSITION IN FREESTANDING LIQUID-CRYSTAL FILMS
    BAHR, C
    FLIEGNER, D
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW A, 1992, 46 (12): : 7657 - 7663
  • [7] Light-induced layer by layer thickening in photosensitive liquid crystal membranes
    Bougrioua, F
    Cluzeau, P
    Dolganov, P
    Joly, G
    Nguyen, HT
    Dolganov, V
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 2005, 95 (02)
  • [8] UNIVERSALITY OF PHASE-DIAGRAMS NEAR THE NEMATIC, SMECTIC-A, SMECTIC-C MULTICRITICAL POINT
    BRISBIN, D
    JOHNSON, DL
    FELLNER, H
    NEUBERT, ME
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 1983, 50 (03) : 178 - 181
  • [9] Layer-dependent surface-induced tilt, hexatic, and positional orders in free-standing 7O.7 films
    Chao, CY
    Hui, SW
    Ho, JT
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 1997, 78 (26) : 4962 - 4965
  • [10] Unusual thickness-dependent thermal behavior and anticlinic coupling in chiral smectic free-standing liquid-crystal films
    Chao, CY
    Lo, CR
    Wu, PJ
    Liu, YH
    Link, DR
    Maclennan, JE
    Clark, NA
    Veum, M
    Huang, CC
    Ho, JT
    [J]. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 2001, 86 (18) : 4048 - 4051