Determination of the bulk rotational viscosity coefficient in a chiral smectic C* liquid crystal

The method of determination of the bulk values of the rotational viscosity coefficient of the smectic c-director in chiral smectic liquid crystals with a helical structure is described. The measurements were performed using optical detection in the small deformation limit. In contrast to the usual methods, the initial deformation of the helix (caused by strong surface interactions) was avoided by using homeotropic aligned thick samples. The coefficient was measured in 4-methylbutyloxy phenyl-4-octyloxy-benzoate (C8) in the presence of laminar flow. The critical temperature dependence of the measured coefficient was found. The relation between the measured coefficient and the smectic C order parameter is shown.     

Molecular structure and physical parameters of some ferroelectric liquid crystal systems

We investigate thermodynamic properties and spontaneous polarization of ferroelectric liquid crystal (SmC^*LC) systems: smectic C matrix + chiral adding (ChA). The fact of existence of an optimum concentration of ChA, for which the studied SmC^*LC systems have the maximum value of spontaneous polarization, and a certain concentration, at which the phase transition of the chiral tilted smectic C phase to the smectic A phase occurs, is established. Temperature dependence curves for the free energy, configuration energy, specific heat, and the orientational order parameter are calculated in the temperature range of existence of liquid crystal mesophases. The curves are in good agreement with the experimentally observed trends of the SmC^*LC properties.     

Molecular models for ferroelectric liquid crystals with conventional and anomalously weak layer contraction

A molecular theory of the ferroelectric smectic C* phase has been developed using the simple model of a chiral molecule composed of a uniaxial core and a pair of off-center nonparallel dipoles which determine molecular chirality and polarity. The interaction between uniaxial cores is modeled by a rather general effective potential which can be used to describe smectic materials with both conventional and anomalously weak layer contraction in the smectic C* phase. Spontaneous polarization, tilt, and layer spacing are calculated numerically as functions of temperature, and it is shown that the variation of the polarization generally deviates from that of the tilt angle. It is shown that this deviation is more pronounced in smectic materials tilting with low layer contraction which corresponds to existing experimental data. The model has been used to reproduce qualitatively the experimental data for polarization, tilt and layer spacing for two similar mixtures exhibiting conventional and anomalously weak layer contraction. The polarization and the tilt are also calculated in the case when the smectic A-smectic C* transition is characterized by the biaxial primary order parameter.     

Smectic polymorphism of 4-decyloxybenzylidene- 4′-alkyloxyanilines and their mixtures with polar standards of mesophases

This article describes liquid crystalline properties of the homologous series of 4-decyloxybenzylidene-4′-alkyloxyanilines. Based on the polarization microscopy (POM and TOA methods) and the calorimetric (DSC) measurements a rich polymorphism has been detected. Investigated compounds exhibit nematic, smectic A, smectic C, smectic B, smectic I and G (smectic G) mesophases with their characteristic configurations. The presence of these mesophases was confirmed by the miscibility method, using 4-heptyloxybenxylidene-4′-pentylaniline as a mesophase reference. Nine other smectic standards with different polarity have been applied in order to investigate their influence on the mesophase stability.     

The synthesis of the chiral non-mesogenic d-seco estrone derivatives and their influence on the phase transitions of cholesteric liquid crystals

The synthesis of new chiral seco-estrone derivatives is presented, as well as their influence on the phase transition of binary mixtures of cholesteryc liquid crystals. The new chiral derivatives do not posses any liquid crystalline phases and were synthesized in several synthetic steps, starting from estrone. We have studied the mixtures of cholesteryl non-anoate (40%) with cholesteryl myristate (40%) and addition of new chiral derivatives 3 4, or 5 (20%). It was concluded that the addition of chiral derivative 3 to the binary mixture stabilizes smectic A and cholesteric phase and shifts the phase transition temperature with respect to pure binary mixture for about 5°C towards lower temperatures. The extension of the temperature range of the cholesteric phase from 5°C to 15°C was established in the case when the derivatives 3 and 4 are added to the binary mixture of cholesteryl nonanoate with cholesteryl myristate. The phase diagrams of investigated compounds are formed on the basis of data obtained by the optical microscopy. Using X-ray diffraction on the crystalline powder of unoriented samples we have determined the molecular parameters: the thickness of smectic and cholesteric layers and average distance between the long axes of neighboring molecules.     

Optical second-harmonic generation in ferroelectric chiral smectic polysiloxane

The second-order nonlinear optical properties of ferroelectric liquid crystalline polymer have been studied. Angular phase-matched Second-Harmonic Generation (SHG) is observed in the chiral smectic C (SmC*) phase of siloxane copolymer with chiral mesogen in the side chain. The effective nonlinear optical coefficient d_eff under the phase-matching condition is determined. The intense SHG is observed even in the crystalline phase by cooling down from the SmC* phase under the electric field. The effective coefficient of SHG in the crystalline phase is more than ten times larger than that of the phase-matched SHG in the SmC* phase. The enhancement of SHG in the crystalline phase is observed only in a homeotropically aligned cell and maintained even in the non-biased state for at least several days. The angular dependence of the SHG in the crystalline phase is confirmed.     

The influence of the sample dimension on the distance between twist disclinations in a planar sample of chiral smectic C liquid crystal

The influence of the finite dimension of a chiral smectic C liquid crystal planar sample on the helical pitch length is discussed. The discussion is based on the properties of the disclination PH₂ system described in Czech. J. Phys. B35 (1985) 655. It is concluded that the existence of the sample free surface can lead to pitch changes with respect to the pitch of a perfect infinite chiral smectic C liquid crystal.     

Biaxialite critique d'un smectique C

Measurements of the biaxiality of a smectic C as a function of the order parameter are presented for n-heptyloxybenzylidene-n-heptylanisol at the second order transition smectic A to smectic C. The experimental set up is a variation of the classical conoscopy method of interference.     

Viscoelastic modes in chiral liquid crystals

Viscoelastic properties of liquid crystals are very important for applications like display technology. However, there are not many direct techniques to study them. In this review, we describe our studies on the viscoelastic modes of some chiral liquid crystals using dynamic light scattering. We discuss viscoelastic modes corresponding to the C director fluctuations in the chiral smectic C phase and the behaviour of the Goldstone-mode near the chiral smectic C-smectic A phase transition. In cholesteric liquid crystals, we consider the director fluctuations in a wavevector range comparable to the inverse pitch of the cholesteric. Here, the study of the scattered light in the vicinity of the Bragg reflection using a novel geometry will be presented.     

西佛碱型液晶化合物相变过程中分子排列方式变化的拉曼光谱研究

用变温拉曼光谱对相变过程的研究表明,液晶化合物的初始晶态与熔融后缓慢降温得到的晶态并不吻合,两个状态下分子尾链的构象及刚性核部分的构象不同导致分子的聚集状态不同。西佛碱型液晶化合物VO10相变过程中,在晶态到液晶态相转变过程中,烷氧基尾链链内构象发生突变,同时有序性降低,刚性核部分两个苯环之间的二面角在相变点时发生明显变化,二面角加大。     

非线性电磁超声对铝合金拉伸变形评价研究

非线性系数是描述材料中微纳尺度损伤的特征参量,非线性系数常通过接触式压电超声进行检测,但耦合剂引起的非线性一般是未知的,针对这一问题,提出了一种非接触式电磁超声非线性纵波检测方法。该方法基于洛伦兹力机理在试件表面产生的振动弹性波,利用不同拉伸载荷下所制备的损伤试件,分别利用压电超声、电磁超声进行非线性超声系数测量。实验结果表明:利用两种非线性超声检测的相对非线性系数与铝合金的拉伸形变呈单调关系,同时也论证了电磁超声纵波基于非线性理论对塑性变形评估的可行性。     

The hydrogen chemical shielding anisotropies of the methyl halides as measured in smectic liquid crystal solvents

Hydrogen chemical shielding anisotropies for the methyl halides are measured using the smectic phase liquid crystals 4-n-pentyloxybenzylidene-4′-p-aminoacetophenone (PBAA), and 4-n-hexyloxybenzylidene-4′-p-aminoacetophenone (HBAA). The method enables one to obtained shielding anisotropies from measurements in the smectic phase only and at a single temperature, and essentially eliminates most effects attributed the changes of phase and temperature. A trend is observed for the shielding anisotropies of the methyl halides, with the anisotropy of methyl fluoride being somewhat large and negative, that of methyl chloride and of methyl bromide being small and positive, and that of methyl iodide being somewhat large and positive. The use of 50 mol % (PBAA)-50 mol % (HBAA) mixture enables one to perform measurements in the smectic phase from approximately room temperature to 100°C.     

基于碳纳米管手性指认的近红外荧光光谱仪的校准程序

手性指数是单壁碳纳米管（SWCNTs）亟待测量的重要参数之一,不仅直接反映了SWCNTs的直径和手性角,同时也反映了其电学特性。近红外荧光光谱法常用于指认碳纳米管的手性,而该类荧光光谱仪缺乏通用的校准方法,造成不同仪器测量结果缺乏可比性。面对该类荧光光谱仪,概括介绍设备的原理及结构,着重阐述了仪器的校准项目以及校准程序,主要包括激发光路校准（激发单色器的校准）和发射光路校准（发射单色器的校准）,通过氙灯标准谱图和激光玻璃标准谱图分别将其校准至467 nm和1 053 nm波长位置。校准完成后,使用该类荧光光谱仪对单壁碳纳米管的手性进行指认,同时使用紫外-可见-近红外光谱仪对同一样品进行手性指认,两种方法的指认结果均为(11, 1)、(8, 7)、(10, 3)、(9,5)、(11, 3)、(8, 6)、(9,2)、(7, 6)、(8, 4)、(7, 5)、(10,2)。由手性指数指认结果的一致性可验证该校准程序准确可靠。     

Elastic model of the primary stripe texture in free-standing chiral smectic C films

In paper E. Górecka et al.: Phys. Rev. Lett. 75 (1995) 4047 the modulations of the director inside smectic layers of chiral smectic C free-standing film were identified as a periodic system of domain walls on which the director orientation changes by . Domain walls were terminated in the film bulk. An improved model, in which domain walls are terminated by (±)-disclinations, is proposed. The model is an extension of the model of Meyer and Pershan [Solid State Commun. 13 (1973) 989] for the case of chiral smectic C films. The experimental dependence of the periodicity of the system on the film thickness is used to estimate the model parameters.     

The bulk twist action on the single local monodomains of the smectic C liquid crystal

The angular dependence of the surface anchoring energies of the smectic C with temperature independent tilt angle (type C₁) on two surfaces, SiO _x /ITO/glass and holographic diffraction grating, were measured using a twist-cell method. The smectic C monodomains rotation, starting at a critical imposed bulk twist, revealed a surface anchoring breaking. The surface anchoring strengths of the SiO _x /ITO/glass and holographic grating were evaluated. A model for the bulk twist influence on the smectic C monodomain growth was suggested.     

Effect of chiral solute on the smectic a to C phase transition of second order

The Landau theory is applied to explain the helicoidal effect of a chiral solute on an ordinary smectic C state below a smectic A-C phase transition of second order. It is shown that T_c increases with the concentration c of the solute, for small c. We suggest that a simultaneous application of electric and magnetic fields perpendicular to the smectic layers might, in some cases, also make the C phase helicoidal.     

Theoretical investigation of antiferroelectric (SmCA) subphases by hydrodynamical approach

We provide a hydrodynamical approach utilizing time dependent Landau-Ginzburg model (L-G) and the Cahn-Hilliard model (C-H) to investigate antiferroelectric liquid crystals (AFLCs) exhibiting different chiral phases between paraelectric smectic A (SmA^?) phase and antiferroelectric smectic C_A^? phase (SmC_A^?). Introducing conserved and non-conserved order parameters in C-H and L-G models, we have predicted the appearance of a chiral smectic C (SmC^?) phase and a ferrielectric SmC_FI1^? phase (three layers SmC_A^?) in an antiferroelectric phase sequence. The three layers periodicity for SmC_FI1^? phase is studied in detail with a non-uniform layer interactions among smectic layers with strong experimental support. Finally, we provide some theoretical basis for the non-uniformity of our proposed layer interactions.     

Twist disclination loops in chiral smectic C liquid crystals

The notion of an infinitesimal twist disclination loop known from solids is introduced into a chiral smectic C liquid crystal with parallel layers. Finite rectangular and straight twist disclinations are described as a synthesis of a planar distribution of infinitesimal loops. Then a small impurity which disturbs only the molecular arrangement in one smectic layer is modelled by a pair of infinitesimal twist disclination loops. The interaction between a 2π-twist disclination and a small impurity is estimated using the interaction energy between a straight 2π-twist disclination and an infinitesimal twist disclination loop.     

Studies of thin smectic C films by X-ray reflectivity

The smectic order in thin and ultra thin films (150–600Å) of the chiral ferroelectric liquid crystal mixture ZLI-3654 is studied using the X-ray reflectivity technique. The spin cast films on various substrates (float glass, Si wafer, polymer coated glass, etc.) order spontaneously with smectic layering parallel to the substrate surface. A simple model which assumes a sinusoidal density modulation can describe well the experimental reflectivity profiles. The X-ray reflectivity provides a method to evaluate the phases of the structure factor. We demonstrate, for the first time, that is possible to extract the molecular tilt angle, , in ferroelectric liquid crystals from X-ray reflectivity measurements of ultra thin films. The temperature dependence of the tilt angle in the smectic C^* phase are almost independent of the film thickness (down to 200 Å) and are similar to those in the bulk.