Shear-induced tilt in smectic-A elastomers.
Smectic-A elastomers combine the positional long-range order of mesogenic molecules in one dimension with the rubber elasticity of a polymer network. While the influence of uniaxial mechanical fields on the phase structure has been investigated intensively during recent years, the impact of shear forces on the orientation of mesogens remains unclear. We present x-ray experiments under shear strain, showing an induced macroscopic tilt depending on the applied shear angle and geometry of the setup.
Institut für Makromolekulare Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg, Stefan-Meier Strasse 31, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
D
D
Kramer
H
H
Finkelmann