Abstract
The first-order isotropi-smectic-A transition in liquid-crystal-aerosil gels was studied using high-resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction. The gels were created in decylcyanobiphenyl, which had strong first-order isotropicity to smectic-A transition. It was found that the smectic correlation length decreased slowly with a increase in the random-field variance. The data collected illustrated the influence of random field on a freezing transition with an intervening orientationally ordered phase.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 061706 |
| Pages (from-to) | 061706-1-061706-8 |
| Journal | Physical Review E |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue number | 6 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
We are grateful to J. Thoen for providing essential information concerning the bulk properties of 10CB. Funding in Toronto was provided by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council. The National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory, is supported by the US Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-98CH10886.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| National Synchrotron Light Source | |
| U.S. Department of Energy | DE-AC02-98CH10886 |
| Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada |