Surface-induced orientational phase transition in a lyotropic liquid crystal observed by nonlinear optical techniques.
We have observed a phase transition from a uniaxial to a biaxial nematic phase in a lyotropic liquid crystal as a function of decreasing film thickness. The results, obtained by optical second-harmonic generation experiments in a wedged cell geometry, are supported by additional Z -scan measurements and can be interpreted by wall-induced ordering effects.
Bechtold
I H
IH
NSRIM, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Gómez
S L
SL
Bonvent
J J
JJ
Oliveira
E A
EA
Hohlfeld
J
J
Rasing
Th
T