ANISOTROPY OF THE NEMATIC SMECTIC-A PHASE-TRANSITION

Critical behavior at the transition from the nematic phase to the smectic A phase in liquid crystals has been of interest for over two decades. Discussions about the nature of the transition, its analogy to the superconducting transition, and the degree of anisotropy present in the critical exponents have been extensive during this time. This review article concentrates on the question of anisotropy at the nematic-smectic A transition. The experimental and theoretical work related to this question is summarized and compared. While progress has been made, there are many interesting questions related to this transition that remain for investigators to answer.