The Effect of Rhodamine 6G on Phase Transitions in Cholesteryl Ester Mixtures

Compensated cholesteric mixtures were the subject of a whole range of studies.^1-6 Due to their characteristic properties (the existence of a temperature at which compensation occurs and the dependence of the critical field on temperature), the orientation of guest molecules by compensated cholesteric hosts⁷ shows some particular features in comparison to the orienting mechanisms acting within nematic liquid crystals^8-15 or within chiral nematic mixture.^16,17 When the colour of sample varies due to the influence of the electric field and temperature the guest dye contributes to it as well the compensated cholesteric host.

In this paper we report the modification of compensated cholesteric mixture properties due to the introduction of Rhodamine 6G as guest.