title: Unique pitch evolution in the smectic-C+alpha phase.
abstract: Employing resonant x-ray diffraction, we observed unique pitch evolutions in the smectic-C*(alpha) phase in mixtures of two antiferroelectric liquid crystals. Our results show that the pitch in this phase continuously evolves across 4 layers, contradicting a theoretical model that predicts that the smectic-C*(FI2) phase intervenes in the smectic-C*(alpha) phase. The phase sequences we found can be explained by another model that includes one type of long-range interaction among smectic layers.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Z Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pindak
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Caliebe
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barois
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Shun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang