Studying the Electrically Driven Switching of the Planar Light Guide

Liquid crystalline materials can be used as an active media for the new generation of planar light guides. The main characteristics which governs light-guiding and switching abilities of such devices are the spatial distributions of the refraction indices (defined via the distribution of nematic director) for the liquid crystal confined within a light-guiding pore. We aim to obtain these distributions from the molecular dynamics simulation of the liquid crystalline cell with the homeotropic boundary conditions being applied. We discuss the reorientation kinetics of the homeotropic-planar transition and obtain the equilibrium director profile upon application of the planar reorienting field.     

Mesomorphism in chloro substituted isomeric series including chalconyl central bridge

A novel homologous series of thermotropic liquid crystals α-4-(4′-n-alkoxy benzoyloxy phenyl) β-2″-chloro benzoyl ethylenes have been synthesized and studied with a view to understand and establish the effect of molecular structure on liquid crystal (LC) properties with reference to molecular flexibility in isomeric series with differing positional status of same functional group. Novel homologues series consist of 12 homologues C₁ to C_16. C₁, C₂, and C₃ homologues are nonliquid crystals (NLC) and rest of the homologues are liquid crystals. C₁₀ to C₁₆ homologues are enantiotropically smectogenic plus nematogenic and C₄ to C₈ homologues are enantiotropic nematic. The texture of nematogenic derivatives is threaded or schlieren and that of the smectic mesophase are focal conic of the type smectic A or C. Analytical, thermal and spectral data supported molecular structures of novel homologues. Transition temperatures as determine by a hot stage polarizing optical microscopy (POM) were plotted against number of carbon atom present in n-alkyl chain ‘R’ of left n-alkoxy (-OR) group and the phase transition curves Cr–I/M, Sm–N, N–I were obtained on linking like or related points. The odd–even effect is observed for the N–I transition curve and thus transition curves behaved in normal manner. The even-membered nematic transition curve occupied higher position than the odd-membered transition curve. Present series is predominantly nematogenic and partly smectogenic with middle-ordered melting type.     

Direct structural observation of the alignment and elongation in lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals under shear flow

The structural characterization of the orientation and elongation under shear flow in Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals (LCLCs) molecules, Sunset Yellow FCF (SSY), was performed by in situ rheological small/wide angle X-ray scattering (Rheo-SAXS/WAXS). The X-ray measurement results clearly demonstrated that the stacked aggregates were oriented and elongated to the shear direction under shear flow. Further shear rate increase caused the enhancement in the orientation and elongation with the inter-aggregate distance constant, and then the structural change decreased implying the onset of the orientation saturation at high shear rates.     

Growth and characterization of a promising nonlinear optical organic crystal

The growth of single crystals of acetoacetanilide using slow evaporation technique is reported. Good-quality crystals up to a size of 20×10×1 mm³ are obtained. The grown crystals are characterized by employing UV-VIS spectrum, IR spectrum, and hardness measurements. Acetoacetanilide shows very good second-harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency.     

Dislocation Structure and Strain Localisation in Nickel Single Crystals Cyclically Deformed at 77 K

An experimentally based investigation is presented of the dislocation structure and of glide effects occurring in single slip oriented nickel crystals cyclically deformed at 77 K until saturation of the stress amplitude. Special attention is paid to a comparison of slip and structure phenomena observed in fatigue tests at 77 K and those found after cycling at room temperature (RT) and elevated temperatures. At strain amplitudes within the plateau region of the cyclic stress‐strain curve, where at higher temperatures in the crystal two structure types co‐exist, at 77 K nearly the entire specimen volume is occupied by one structure “phase”, a dislocation‐“condensed” wall configuration. On different scale levels the main characteristics of this extended wall structure were found to be independent of the imposed amplitude, and they turned out to fit in the temperature dependence of the structure features of the ladder‐like wall phase characterising the zones of intense slip (persistent slip bands) at RT and elevated temperatures. At 77 K the strain is localised in narrow slip bands (SBs) in the same way as at higher temperatures, although there is no indication of a “two‐phase” structure. From the experimental findings it is concluded that WINTERs “two‐phase” model remains valid, when averaging the plastic strain values over all SBs and over a sufficient number of cycles.     

Electronic Structure and X‐Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Wurtzite GaxAl1‐xN Solid Alloy

Band energy structure of Ga_xAl_1‐xN solid alloy (x=0.15; 0.65) is calculated. All one‐electron methods of band energy calculations (self‐consistent norm‐conserving pseudo‐potential (NCPP), linear muffin tin orbital method (LMTO) and linear combination atomic orbital (LCAO)) methods give considerable disagreement with the experimental data. We demonstrate that better agreement with experiment is achieved when the NCPP wavefunctions are orthogonalised to the core‐like states. Simultaneously additional geometry optimization improve the agreement with the optical data. We have carried out theoretical and experimental investigation of the band density of states for two representatives of the investigated wurtzite Ga_xAl_1‐xN solid alloys (with x=0.15 and 0.65).     

Detection of Photoemission of Electrons into Anthracene Crystals by Studying Recom ination Radiation

Evidence for photoemission of electrons from a calcium contact into anthracene crystals is presented. It is based on the observation of recombination radiation resulting from mutual annihilation of photoinjected electrons with holes which are supplied by an ohmic counter-electrode. The method avoids spurious effect's due to optical release of trapped electrons. The problem of photoemission of electrons from alkali-metals into anthracene crystals is discussed.     

Coupled Phonon Modes and Infrared Band Shapes in Crystal SiF

The absorption intensities of combination bands in the infrared spectrum of crystal SiF₄ have been measured. One-and two-phonon energies and densities of states have been calculated with a dipole-dipole interaction potential. The contribution to absorption intensities due to non linear electric moments have been calculated. It is shown that most of the two-phonon infrared absorption is due to phonon-phonon coupling.     

Conductivity and Optical Properties of a Polyiodine Canal Complex (Benzophenone)9(KI)2I7, CHCl3

Abstract

(Benzophenone)₉(KI)₂I₇, CHCl₃ single crystals have a golden metallic reflection on the surfaces parallel to the polyiodine chain axis. The compound is a member of a large class of channel-like inclusion compounds in which isolated iodine atom chains are the only possible conducting strands in an otherwise insulating matrix. The (contactless) microwave conductivity is ～ 10 Ω^?1 cm^?1 at room temperature with an activation energy of ～0.03 eV down to 70°K, while the dc conductivity is ～10^?-⁶. Conductivity is strongly frequency dependent and contact problems are severe.     

Studies of Specific Adsorption Sites for Sodium Ion and Water on the Interface of Mixed Micelles of Novel Type II Lyomesophases

Novel aqueous type II lyotropic mesophases that align in magnetic fields have been synthesized for binary and ternary mixtures of amphiphiles. A system in which major components of the micelle bilayer are decyltrimethylammonium and dodecanoate ions is an aligning mesophase from 100% to 35% dodecanoate, but replacement of the cationic amphiphile with hexadecyltrimethylammonium facilitates the extension to aligning mesophases up to 100% replacement of the dodecanoate ions. A study of sodium and deuterium quadrupole splittings observed in their nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, confirms and extends a three site adsorption theory for sodium ion in the mixed head group interface. The first site is associated with more strongly hydrated ions and head groups and involves adjacent dodecanoate head groups, the second is not so strongly hydrated and involves one dodecanoate group while the third is a weakly bound water at - N(CH₃)⁺ groups and a sodium remote from the interface layer in close to average isotropic motion.

Mixed detergent mesophases of type II, which spontaneously align in the field, have also been synthesized from variable mixtures of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and decylammonium chloride and from mixtures of potassium dodecanoate and sodium decylsulphate. In the mixed cationic system the sodium quadrupole splittings are always low but water is tightly bound to the -NH₃ ⁺ head group. In the anionic detergent mixture sodium appears about as strongly bound to dodecanoate and decylsulphate head groups. In most of the mixed mesophases some decanol is required (maximum 25% of the bilayer) in order to render the desired type II mesophase stable over a range of mixtures of the charged detergents. Specific site adsorption for sodium and water, peculiar to different head groups renders the effect of the added decanol as primarily a convenient diluent in the bilayer to preserve mesophase integrity.