Abstract
We report on the x-ray reflectivity of free-standing smectic films of 8CB. At temperatures well below the second-order nematic-to-smectic transition temperature TNA we find that the fluctuations of the smectic layers in the middle and at the surfaces have the same amplitude. However, on approaching TNA the fluctuations of the middle layers of the film are found to diverge while those at the surfaces are still quenched. The results can be understood qualitatively by including an additional surface term in the well-known Landau-De Gennes free energy for the smectic-A phase.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
See, for example, G. Vertagen and W. H. de Jeu, Thermotropic Liquid Crystals, Fundamentals, Springer Series in Chemical Physics vol. 45 (Springer, Heidelberg, 1988).
C.Y. Young, R. Pindak, N.A. Clark and R.B. Meyer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 773 (1978).
S. Gierlotka, P. Lambooy and W.H. de Jeu, Europhys. Lett. 12, 341 (1990).
D.J. Tweet, R. Holyst, B.D. Swanson, H. Stragier and L.B. Sorensen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 2157 (1990).
For a review see: P.S. Pershan, Proc. International Conference on X-ray and Neutron Scattering from Surfaces and Thin Films, J.Phys.Colloque (Paris) 50, C7–1 (1989).
S. Shashidar, Chapter 15 of this volume.
(a) J. Thoen, H. Marijnissen and W. van Dael, Phys.Rev.Lett. 52, 204 (1984);
(b) B.M. Ocko, R.J. Birgeneau and J.D. Litster, Phys.Rev.Lett. 52, 208 (1984).
J. Als-Nielsen, Handbook of Synchotron Radiation, Vol. 3, North-Holland (Amsterdam, 1990).
R. Holyst, D.J. Tweet and L.B. Sorensen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 2153 (1990).
M. Benzekri, J.P. Marcerou, H.T. Nguyen and J.C. Rouillon, Phys. Rev. B 41, 9032, (1990).
N.V. Madhusudana and R. Pratibha, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 89, 249 (1982).
A. Böttger and J.G.H. Joosten, Europhys. Lett. 4, 1297 (1987).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lambooy, P., Gierlotka, S., Hamley, I.W., de Jeu, W.H. (1992). Critical Fluctuations in Free-Standing Smectic Films: An X-Ray Reflectivity Study. In: Martellucci, S., Chester, A.N. (eds) Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystals. NATO ASI Series, vol 290. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-9151-7_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-9151-7_17
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-9153-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-9151-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive