Discontinuous change in smectic layer thickness in ferrielectric liquid crystals

V.P. Panov , J.K. Vij , Yu.P. Panarin , Christophe Blanc (1) , Vladimir Lorman (2) , J.W. Goodby

1 LCVN - Laboratoire des colloïdes, verres et nanomatériaux
2 LPTA - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Astroparticules

The temperature dependence of the thickness of thick free-standing films is studied using a high-resolution film thickness measurement technique. A small discontinuity in the temperature dependence of the smectic layer thickness at every phase transition between ferro-, ferri-, and antiferroelectric phases is observed. We show that the major contribution to it arises from a change in the smectic tilt angle.

Mots clés: antiferroelectricity; liquid films; smectic liquid crystals; liquid crystal phase transformations; ferroelectric transitions; ferroelectric thin films

Domaines: Biophysique; Matière Condensée [cond-mat]; Matière Molle [cond-mat.soft]

V.P. Panov, J.K. Vij, Yu.P. Panarin, Christophe Blanc, Vladimir Lorman, et al.. Discontinuous change in smectic layer thickness in ferrielectric liquid crystals. Physical Review E : Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2007, 75 (4), pp.042701. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevE.75.042701⟩. ⟨hal-00378244⟩