Dynamic light scattering study of biaxial ordering in a thermotropic liquid crystal.
Dynamic light scattering from orientational order fluctuations in a liquid crystalline tetrapode reveals successive, weakly first-order isotropic to uniaxial and uniaxial to biaxial nematic phase transitions. The order parameter relaxation rates exhibit temperature dependences consistent with Landau-de Gennes mean field theory. Combined with previous evidence of a second-order uniaxial-biaxial transition in a closely related tetrapode, the present study supports the existence of a nematic-nematic tricritical point in thermotropic liquid crystals.
Neupane
K
K
Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
Kang
S W
SW
Sharma
S
S
Carney
D
D
Meyer
T
T
Mehl
G H
GH
Allender
D W
DW
Kumar
Satyendra
S
Sprunt
S
S