title: Unusual behavior of the surface-induced tilted layers in free-standing films of a non-layer-shrinkage liquid crystal compound.
abstract: Null-transmission ellipsometry has been conducted to study the molecular arrangements in free-standing films of one chiral compound above the bulk smectic-A-smectic-C* transition temperature. Upon cooling under a proper electric field, a nonplanar-anticlinic-synclinic or a nonplanar-synclinic transition has been observed. The nonplanar structure continuously evolves into the anticlinic or synclinic structures. Increasing electric field can induce a rare transition from a synclinic to an anticlinic structure.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X F
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Z Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cady
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Radcliffe
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang