Thermotropic biaxial nematic phase in liquid crystalline organo-siloxane tetrapodes

Infrared absorbance measurements have been carried out on two liquid crystalline organo-siloxane tetrapodes. Results unambiguously show the existence of a biaxial nematic phase below a uniaxial nematic phase. The three components of IR absorbance are used to calculate the various order parameters. On cooling, a weak first-order transition from isotropic to nematic is observed, followed by a second-order phase transition to biaxial nematic where the biaxiality parameters are found to be significantly large. Results are supported by observations from conoscopy and texture. Temperature dependences of the order parameters are well explained by the mean-field model for a biaxial phase.     

A biaxial nematic gel phase in aqueous vanadium pentoxide suspensions

Aqueous suspensions of V₂O₅ ribbons are one of the very few examples of mineral liquid crystals. In the concentrated regime, we show that these ribbons organize in a biaxial nematic gel phase. A Couette shear cell was used to produce a well oriented sample for in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering studies. We observed two perpendicular anisotropic sections of reciprocal space, which proves the biaxial symmetry of the nematic order. The thermodynamic and flow properties of the biaxial nematic are well described by hard-core theories. We suggest the use of a shear geometry to produce and investigate single domains of other biaxial nematics, reported but still questioned in the literature. Received 26 May 1999     

The elusive thermotropic biaxial nematic phase in rigid bent-core molecules

The biaxial nematic liquid crystalline phase was predicted several decades ago. Several vigorous attempts to find it in various systems resulted in mis-identifications. The results of X-ray diffraction and optical texture studies of the phases exhibited by rigid bent-core molecules derived from 2,5-bis-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-l,3,4-oxadiazole reveal that the biaxial nematic phase is formed by three compounds of this type. X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the nematic phase of these compounds has the achiral symmetry D_2h, in which the overall long axes of the molecules are oriented parallel to each other to define the major axis of the biaxial phase. The apex of the bent-cores defines the minor axis of this phase along which the planes containing the bent-cores of neighboring molecules are oriented parallel to each other.     

Deuterium NMR investigation of the biaxial nematic phase in an organosiloxane tetrapode

Deuterium NMR is used to examine the molecular order exhibited by an organosiloxane tetrapode giving the first experimental evidence, using a bulk sample, for the existence of a biaxial nematic phase in this type of compounds. The temperature dependence of the averaged quadrupolar coupling constant and asymmetry parameter was determined in the compound's nematic phase. Two distinct regimes could be identified, one with a vanishing asymmetry parameter corresponding to a uniaxial nematic phase and another with a significant temperature dependent asymmetry parameter, corresponding to a biaxial nematic phase. The high values obtained for the asymmetry parameter at the lower end of the nematic range are well above experimental error and constitute a definite proof of the biaxial nature of the nematic phase exhibited by the studied compound for those temperatures.     

Kinetics of a finite one-dimensional mixture of hard rods with different masses

A one-dimensional binary mixture of impenetrable (hard core) particles with different mass ratios,m ₂/m ₁=1, 1.05, 1.2, 2, 3, and 4, was simulated to evolve in a computer by the molecular dynamics method. The systems withm ₂>m ₁ and initial velocity distribution ±v ₀ show a clear tendency to the equipartition of energy and relaxation toward a Maxwellian velocity distribution unlike the nonergodic system withm ₂=m ₁. Several quantities have been monitored during the evolution to investigate its dependence on the mass ratiom ₂/m ₁.     

Biaxial nematic phase in the Maier-Saupe model for a mixture of discs and cylinders

We analyze the global phase diagram of a Maier-Saupe lattice model with the inclusion of shape-disordered degrees of freedom to mimic a mixture of oblate and prolate molecules (discs and cylinders). In the neighborhood of a Landau multicritical point, solutions of the statistical problem can be written as a Landau-de Gennes expansion for the free energy. If the shape-disordered degrees of freedom are quenched, we confirm the existence of a biaxial nematic structure. If orientational and disorder degrees of freedom are allowed to thermalize, this biaxial solution becomes thermodynamically unstable. Also, we use a two-temperature formalism to mimic the presence of two distinct relaxation times, and show that a slight departure from complete thermalization is enough to stabilize a biaxial nematic phase.     

Birefringence study on lyotropic micellar nematic phase in a binary mixture

We report the results of our studies on optical and thermal properties of two non-mesogenic compounds, namely, didodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (DDAB) and glacial acetic acid. The mixture exhibits schlieren texture of lyotropic micellar nematic (N_D), SmA, SmB, and SmG phases, respectively, at different concentrations of DDAB sequentially when the specimen is cooled from isotropic phase. The order parameter (S) of lyotropic micellar nematic (N_D) phase is estimated with the help of temperature dependence of optical anisotropy from the measured values of refractive index and density data. The temperature variation of order parameter of the experimental curve is in agreement with the Mayer–Saupe theoretical curve. The formation of the above phases has been confirmed by optical studies.     

Molecular orientation of lyotropic nematic phase in a mixture of two non-mesogenic compounds

We report the results of our studies on the optical and thermal properties of the mixture of two non-mesogenic compounds, namely, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and glacial acetic acid (GAA). The mixture exhibits very interesting schlieren texture of lyotropic micellar nematic (N_D) phase, SmA and SmB phases, respectively, at different concentrations of SDS in GAA sequentially when the specimen is cooled from its isotropic phase. The order parameter (S) of the lyotropic micellar nematic (N_D) phase is estimated with the help of temperature dependence of optical anisotropy from the measured values of refractive index and density data. The experimental curve showing the temperature variation of order parameter is very well fitted with the Mayer–Saupe theoretical curve. X-ray studies have also been discussed. The formation of the above phases has been confirmed by optical and differential scanning calorimetry studies.     

Uniaxial and biaxial spin nematic phases induced by quantum fluctuations

It is shown that zero point quantum fluctuations completely lift the accidental continuous degeneracy that is found in mean field analysis of quantum spin nematic phases of hyperfine spin-2 cold atoms. The result is two distinct ground states which have higher symmetries: a uniaxial spin nematic and a biaxial spin nematic with dihedral symmetry Dih4. There is a novel first-order quantum phase transition between the two phases as atomic scattering lengths are varied. We find that the ground state of 87Rb atoms should be a uniaxial spin nematic. We note that the energy barrier between the phases could be observable in dynamical experiments.     

Time-displaced correlation functions in an infinite one-dimensional mixture of hard rods with different diameters

Time-displaced conditional distribution functions are calculated for an infinite, one-dimensional mixture of equal-mass hard rods of different diameters. The kinetic equation that describes the time dependence of the one-particle total distribution function is found to be non-Markovian, in contrast with the situation in systems of identical rods. The correlation function does not contain any isolated damped oscillation, except for systems of equal-diameter rods with discrete velocities. Thus, we generalize the one-component results of Lebowitz, Perçus, and Sykes, removing some nontypical features of that system.Supported by NSF grant No. MCS 75-21684 A01 (M. A.), NSF grant No. MPS 75-20638 (J. L.), and USAFOSR grant No. 73-2430 B (J. M.)John Guggenheim Fellow on sabbatical leave from Belfer Graduate School of Science, Yeshiva University, New York.     

Kinetic pathways for the isotropic-nematic phase transition in a system of colloidal hard rods: a simulation study

We study the kinetic pathways for the isotropic-to-nematic transition in a fluid of colloidal hard rods. In order to follow the formation of the nematic phase, we develop a new cluster criterion that distinguishes nematic clusters from the isotropic phase. Applying this criterion in Monte Carlo simulations, we find spinodal decomposition as well as nucleation and growth depending on the supersaturation. We determine the height of the nucleation barrier and we study the shape and structure of the cluster. More specifically, we find ellipsoidal nematic clusters with an aspect ratio of about 1.7 and a homogeneous nematic director field. Our results are consistent with theoretical predictions on the shape and director field of nematic tactoids. Classical nucleation theory gives reasonable predictions for the height of the nucleation barrier and the critical nucleus size.     

双轴向列相液晶的表面能

利用双轴向列相液晶表面能对指向矢和序参量矩阵的旋转不变性,构造了与指向矢^a,^b,^c对易取向轴^a0,^b0,^c0的偏离有关的表面能Fs(a,b,c),以及与序参量矩阵有关的表面能Fs(Q),并得到两种表达式的等价形式.在Fs(a,b,c)和Fs(Q)中分别有四个和两个独立参量.为讨论上述独立参量的物理意义,假设一液晶分子对表面相互作用的简单模型,将液晶分子沿易取向轴^b0,^c0的双轴性取向看成是受到沿^b0,^c0两相互垂直的平均场作用的结果.为测量表面锚泊系数,考虑了三种简单形变位型,即在外磁 关键词： 液晶 弹性能 表面能     

Influence of dipole-dipole correlations on the stability of the biaxial nematic phase in the model bent-core liquid crystal

A molecular theory of biaxial nematic ordering in the system of bent-core molecules has been developed in the two-particle cluster approximation which enables one to take into account short-range polar correlations determined by both electrostatic dipole-dipole interaction and polar molecular shape. All orientational order parameters and short-range correlation functions are calculated numerically as functions of temperature in the uniaxial and in the biaxial nematic phases, and the results are compared with the ones obtained in the mean-field approximation and in the cluster approximation but without taking into consideration the dipole-dipole interaction. It is shown that short-range polar correlations and, in particular, the dipole-dipole correlations dramatically increase the temperature of the transition into the biaxial nematic phase and enhancing its stability range. The results are also very sensitive to the value of the opening angle of a model bent-core molecule.     

Enhancement of optical nonlinearity in a guest-host system by nematic ordering

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) has been studied for understanding the enhancement mechanism for the second-order optical nonlinearity by the nematic (or axial) ordering in a liquid crystal doped with one-dimensional nonlinear optical (NLO) organic molecules. An extended version of the Maier-Saupe mean-field theory for nematic liquid crystals was developed to obtain analytical expressions for the second-order NLO coefficients in terms of the axial order, the polar order and the effective nematic potential. From the SHG data in a guest-host system composed ofN,N'-dimethylaminonitrostilbene molecules (0.5% by weight) and a liquid crystal, the enhancement of the second-order NLO coefficient,d ₃₃, by nematic ordering becomes almost 3, which agrees well with our theoretical predictions.     

Ringed spherulitic and undulated textures in the nematic phase of a mixture of trans-4-hexylcyclohexanecarboxilic and benzoic acids

We present a polarizing optical microscopy study of a liquid-crystal mixture of trans-4-hexylcyclohexanecarboxilic (C6) and benzoic acids. Both materials have carboxylic groups that can form dimers through hydrogen bonding. The mixture is nematic at room temperature and has the clearing point at 88°C. The nematic phase shows ringed spherulites, sometimes looking like spiral structures, and undulated textures, which remain visible when heating the sample till 71°C. This is the temperature of a texture transition inside the nematic phase.     

Ergodic properties of a semi-infinite hard rods system

A semi-infinite hard rods system in thermodynamic equilibrium is proved to be aK-system.     

Effects of fields and anchoring on biaxial nematic ordering

Symmetry of a nematic liquid crystal phase is broken by an anchoring wall and also by an external field. Nematic system sandwiched between biaxial anchoring walls is introduced as a correspondent to a bulk nematic system exposed to a couple of fields, an electric field and a magnetic one in directions perpendicular to each other, and thermal behaviours of the system are studied. The crossover between a homeotropic structure and homogeneous one occurs, similarly to the bulk system in the fields, in which the anchoring condition of coexistence is shown to have the same expression as the one at the bulk. As to a characteristic phenomenon at the sandwiched system, it is proved that an appearance of a biaxial nematic order suppresses a uniaxial nematic order. A surface transition, i.e., a wetting phenomenon is shown to occur also in the biaxial nematics, even though the uniaxial order is suppressed therein.     

Order parameter dependence of the viscosity coefficients of a biaxial nematic liquid crystal

We derive expressions for the order parameter dependence of the viscosity coefficients of a biaxial nematic liquid crystal by comparing its dissipation function expressed in terms of directors with that expressed in terms of order tensors. The results enable us to identify the dominant flow viscosity coefficients and to compare their temperature variation according to their dependence on the dominant scalar order parameters. By considering different orientations of an external field, we identify three characteristic switching times corresponding to three rotational viscosities, and we estimate the ratio of the switching times of the primary and the secondary directors.