Behaviour of free-standing smectic A films upon heating |
| |
Authors: | L V Mirantsev |
| |
Institution: | Laboratoire de Chimie des Matériaux Organiques et Métalliques, Faculté des Sciences , Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis , Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France |
| |
Abstract: | In the framework of a previously proposed microscopic mean-field model for thin smectic A liquid crystal films with two boundary surfaces, the behaviour of free-standing smectic A films upon heating is investigated theoretically. It is shown that the model accounts for both the film rupture and layer-thinning transitions with increasing temperature. A close correlation between the behaviour of the film upon heating and the surface tension is found. The model accounts also for essential features of the layer-thinning transitions for thick and thin free-standing smectic A films of various liquid crystal compounds. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|