Surface effects in field-induced smectic transitions |
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Authors: | P. Galatola M. Zelazna I. Lelidis |
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Affiliation: | (1) Dipartimento di Fisica and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy, IT;(2) Département de Physique, Institut de Génie Atomique, école Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland, CH |
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Abstract: | We study the surface behavior of a semi-infinite smectogenic sample bounded by a solid wall, in the presence of an external electric field. Our analysis is performed in the framework of a Landau-de Gennes theory. For the sake of simplicity, we consider only the case in which, in the absence of field and surfaces, a direct isotropic to smectic-A transition occurs, while in the presence of the electric field a nonspontaneous nematic phase appears. Two new surface phases are identified, namely a parasmectic and a surface-induced smectic phase. The shifts in the transition temperatures and the critical behavior of the surface states are analyzed. Received: 25 August 1997 / Accepted: 23 January 1998 |
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Keywords: | PACS. 64.70.Md Transition in liquid crystals - 68.35.Md Surface energy thermodynamics properties - 64.10.+h General theory of equations of state and phase equilibria |
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