title: Observation of unusual surface ordering in a uniaxial Sm-A phase formed by a highly biaxial compound.
abstract: We have studied one banana-shaped compound using null-transmission ellipsometry. By studying free-standing films of various thicknesses we confirm that this compound exhibits the Sm-A phase. This is the first banana-shaped compound with a relatively small bend angle (approximately 140 degrees) in which a uniaxial phase has been observed. At the lower temperature end of the Sm-A phase we observe unusual ordering at the surface of the film.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: X F
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cady
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weissflog
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang