Ising wall instability in a nematic liquid crystal |
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| Authors: | C Chevallard M Nobili J-M Gilli |
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| Institution: | 1. (U.M.R. 129 CNRS/UNSA) Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Institut Non-Linéaire de Nice, 1361 route des Lucioles, 06560 Valbonne, France;2. Groupe de Dynamique des Phases Condensées-CC26 (U.M.R. 5581 CNRS/UMII) Université Montpellier II, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France |
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| Abstract: | A new instability for a splay-bend Ising wall was found in a 5CB nematic liquid crystal layer. This instability, which occurs in the presence of an external horizontal magnetic field, is driven by the elastic anisotropy of the liquid crystal material. Depending on the homogeneity of the magnetic field, the unstable straight interface evolves towards a new steady state or undergoes a spinodal decomposition into facets. Energy arguments are given in order to explain these physical phenomena. |
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| Keywords: | smectic E phase soft matter adiabatic calorimetry polymorphism |
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