title: Surface-induced multiple reentrant transitions.
abstract: We have studied tilted surface layers in the bulk SmA temperature window of one liquid crystal using null transmission ellipsometry. Five distinct nonplanar surface structures were observed. We present analyses of the tilt and azimuthal profiles of the structures and examine the transitions between the structures. The transitions are identified as a double reentrant synclinic-anticlinic-synclinic-anticlinic transition. Meanwhile, the transitions also display reentrant ferroelectric-antiferroelectric-ferroelectric behavior.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.forename: Z Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Panov
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Vij
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Goodby
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang