title: Dramatic effect of an additional CH2 group on the temperature variation of the Sm-C(*)(alpha) short helical pitch.
abstract: High-resolution differential optical reflectivity was used to study the temperature evolution of the short helical pitch in the Sm-C(*)(alpha) phase of successive members from two liquid-crystal homologous series. With the addition of one CH2 group, the magnitude and temperature evolution of the pitch change dramatically, and the molecular arrangements between consecutive surface layers found in free-standing films change from being anticlinic to synclinic.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cady
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: X F
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang