Complex dynamic behavior of fluctuating smectic- A films as studied by scattering with coherent X-rays
Coherent dynamic x-ray scattering has been used to study the thermally excited layer fluctuations in freely suspended smectic films of the compound 4O.8. Using 8-keV x rays and films with a thickness around 0.3 &mgr;m we resolve relaxation times down to a few &mgr;s. A combination of damped and oscillatory behavior is observed for the layer undulations, which can be attributed to inertial effects. These are due to the surface contribution to the free energy which cannot be disregarded for thin films.
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FOM-Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics, Kruislaan 407, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Dolbnya
IP
Grubel
G
Muller
HG
Ostrovskii
BI
Shalaginov
AN
de Jeu WH