Light Diffraction Studies of the Banded Texture in Hydroxypropyl Cellulose

In most liquid crystal polymers when a thin sample is sheared the polymer exhibits a periodic pattern or texture. While this phenomena has been widely noted, a complete and satisfactory explanation is not yet in hand. We present the results of a study of the dynamics of the formation of the banded texture in liquid crystalline polymers after shear. The data were collected by the diffraction of light from the texture. This approach directly provides the key parameters to characterize the texture without the ambiguity that is often involved with microscopy. It was found that the overall nature of the modulation that gives rise to the texture appears to not vary with time except in magnitude. Both thewavelength and the coherence length of the modulation remain fixed. While both shear rate and thickness of the sample have little effect upon the texture, concentration of the polymer has a very large effect.     

Molecular Ordering in Liquid Crystals and the Effect of End-Chains on the Even-Odd Effect

The second and fourth orientational order parameters [Pbar]₂, [Pbar]₄ of the homologous series of 4-n-alkyl-4′-cyanobiphenyls (nCB, n = 5 ～ 8) in the nematic liquid crystalline state have been determined from the Raman depolarization ratios by the resonance Raman probe method. It was found out that not only [Pbar]₂ but also [Pbar]₄ exhibits evident even-odd effect when they are compared at the same reduced temperature. For understanding the mechanism of the even-odd effect, a theoretical calculation has been carried out on the basis of the mean field theory of Marcelja, in which the effect of the end alkyl-chain on the liquid crystalline state is taken explicitly into consideration. The observed trend in [Pbar]₂, [Pbar]₄, nematic-isotropic transition temperature were well reproduced. Detailed inspection of the results shows that the presence of anisotropic molecular field plays an important role in the appearance of the even-odd effect. The anisotropic molecular field produces redistribution of the statistical weight of various conformers in such a way that the end chains of odd-members align better along the direction of the rigid core part than those of even-members.     

New Nematic Phase in Lyotropic Binary Liquid Crystals Detected by Positron Annihilation Techniquest

A new nematic phase in lyotropic binary liquid crystalline systems consisting of sodium dodecyl sulfate-water was detected, for the first time, in the absence of additives by utilizing positron annihilation techniques. Lyotropic and thermotropic phase transitions were also investigated by the same methods. The positron annihilation parameters have also indicated a better definition of the concentration ranges at which each phase exists in the system studied. Crossed polarized light microscopy was applied to substantiate these results.     

Raman Scattering from Liquid Crystals

Abstract

The use of Raman scattering technique as a tool for studying local order in complex liquid crystal systems is illustrated by three examples, namely the locally anisotropic liquid L-phase, lipid membranes, and PDLC's.     

QCD as a topologically ordered system

We argue that QCD belongs to a topologically ordered phase similar to many well-known condensed matter systems with a gap such as topological insulators or superconductors. Our arguments are based on an analysis of the so-called “deformed QCD” which is a weakly coupled gauge theory, but nevertheless preserves all the crucial elements of strongly interacting QCD, including confinement, nontrivial θ$\theta$ dependence, degeneracy of the topological sectors, etc. Specifically, we construct the so-called topological “BF” action which reproduces the well known infrared features of the theory such as non-dispersive contribution to the topological susceptibility which cannot be associated with any propagating degrees of freedom. Furthermore, we interpret the well known resolution of the celebrated U(1)_A$U{\left(1\right)}_A$ problem where the would be η^′${\eta }^{\prime }$ Goldstone boson generates its mass as a result of mixing of the Goldstone field with a topological auxiliary field characterizing the system. We then identify the non-propagating auxiliary topological field of the BF formulation in deformed QCD with the Veneziano ghost (which plays the crucial role in resolution of the U(1)_A$U{\left(1\right)}_A$ problem). Finally, we elaborate on relation between “string-net” condensation in topologically ordered condensed matter systems and long range coherent configurations, the “skeletons”, studied in QCD lattice simulations.     

Thermoelastic behaviour of hexagonal graphite-like boron nitride

Abstract

A synchrotron X-ray diffraction study on hexagonal graphite-like boron nitride (h-BN) was performed under high pressures and temperatures. From the measured P-V-Trelation for h-BN (with a three-dimensional ordering parameter P₃ = 0.9) in the temperature range from 298 to 1273 K and up to 6.7 GPa, the thermoelastic parameters are derived by fitting a modified high temperature Birch-Murnaghan equation of state. The results are: bulk modulus B₀[GPa] = 27.6-0.0081(T[K]-298) and its pressure derivative B¹ = 10.5 + 0.0016(T [K] - 298). These values are for samples with P₃ = 0.9 and are quite different for samples with different values of the order parameter. This parameter is shown to have a leading role in the determination of the thermoelastic properties of h-BN, which explains and reconciles the differences between previous results.     

亚铁磁Heusler合金Mn2CoGa和Mn2CoAl掺杂Cr,Fe和Co的局域铁磁结构

通过实验和计算的方法研究了Mn₂CoM_xGa_1-x 和Mn₂CoM_xAl_1-x (M=Cr, Fe, Co)掺杂系列合金样品. 研究发现, 在共价作用的影响下, Fe和Co原子占A位, 使被取代的MnA (-2.1 μ_B)变成MnD (3.2 μ_B), 在最近邻的强交换作用下亚铁磁基体中形成了MnB-CoC-MnD局域铁磁性结构, 使分子磁矩的增量最高可达6.18 μ_B. Fe, Co 掺杂后建立同样的局域铁磁结构, 居里温度的变化趋势却不同. 实验观察到Mn₂Co_1+xAl_1-x中掺杂容忍度高达x=0.64, 远高于在Mn₂CoGa中(x=0.36)的结果; 以及随着Al的减少, 合金由B2有序向A2混乱转变等现象, 为共价作用对合金结构稳定的影响提供了证据. 磁测量中发现Cr掺杂后磁矩增量高达3.65 μ_B以及居里温度快速上升的反常现象, 意味着对占位规则的违背.     

毫米波二阶分形频率选择表面寄生谐振的抑制

二阶分形频率选择表面具有良好的双频特性, 是实现准光学选频网络小型化的理想选择. 但是由于其自相似迭代结构的复杂性, 导致其长期受到寄生谐振的影响, 为了提高二阶分形结构在工程应用中的可靠性, 本文建立了二阶方环分形周期单元的等效电路并分析了寄生谐振产生时的场分布情况, 研究了寄生谐振的形成机理; 进而通过单元间去耦合操作, 并引入基于离散粒子群算法的多参数优化过程, 克服了这一问题. 仿真和实验结果表明: 在保证双频工作特性、对于入射角和极化稳定的前提下, 通过去耦合和粒子群算法实现的频率选择表面实测对寄生谐振的抑制可达13dB, 且避免了新的寄生谐振的产生. 关于寄生谐振抑制的研究, 为增强二阶分形阵列结构的可靠性提供了新的思路. 关键词： 二阶分形 频率选择表面 寄生谐振 离散粒子群算法     

Effect of magnetic fields on out-of-plane orientations of nematic liquid crystalline polymers under simple shear flow

The effect of magnetic fields on out-of-plane orientations of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) under simple shear flows is numerically analyzed using the Doi–Hess equation. The evolution equation for the probability distribution function of the LCP molecules is directly solved without any approximation closure. The initial director is parallel to the vorticity direction. Two cases of the magnetic fields are considered (1) the magnetic field parallel to the flow direction, and (2) the magnetic field parallel to the velocity gradient direction. For both cases a log-rolling orientation state is detected at low shear rates. However, the director is quickly aligned along the direction of magnetic fields because of the deformation of molecules. The field affects on the scalar order parameter rather than the major orientation direction for the magnetic field parallel to the flow direction. On the other hand regarding the magnetic field along the vorticity gradient direction, the effect of the magnetic field is more remarkable on the major orientation in comparison with the effect on the scalar order parameter. Also it is be found that the order parameter is increased obviously with increasing the magnetic fields. It is an efficient way to improve the performance of LCP materials.     

Energy dependence of ion beam mixing at Fe-Al and Fe-Cu interface: A conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopic study

The energy dependence of ion beam mixing in the Fe-Al and Fe-Cu bilayer configuration on the energy of bombarding Kr⁺ ions has been investigated by using the technique of conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy. The ion energy has been varied over a range between 30 keV and 120 keV by keeping the dose value fixed at 10¹⁶ ions/cm². In both the cases the extent of mixing shows an interesting variation with increase in the value of ion energy. This behaviour is discussed in the light of the calculated energy deposition distributions for the case of the given bilayer systems. The variations in the microstructural details of the mixed region with change in the incident ion energy have also been brought out via determination of hyperfine interaction parameters.