Unusual behavior of the surface-induced tilted layers in free-standing films of a non-layer-shrinkage liquid crystal compound.
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.
Wang
S T
ST
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
Han
X F
XF
Liu
Z Q
ZQ
Cady
A
A
Radcliffe
M D
MD
Huang
C C
CC