title: Semisoft elastic response of nematic elastomers to complex deformations.
abstract: We consider a relaxed semisoft elastomer with its director oriented along the z axis that is first subjected to a large stretch in the x direction then to a slight x-z shear. We give a general argument that in any theory including director rotation, at the onset and end of the director rotation induced by these large stretches, there will be kinks in the stress-large strain curve (forming a stress-strain plateau) and zeros in the x-z shear modulus (C5) associated with small shears imposed on top of the stretches. We then find the analytical forms of the C5 -strain curves for a particular model of semisoftness (arising from compositional fluctuations) and show that it, together with the known stress-strain curve, provides the basis for a strong test of this theory. Finally, we consider the scope for other semisoft models and show that the compositional fluctuations model in fact yielded a generic form, that is, it is the most general quadratic free energy that does not explicitly include a final state direction other than the director. By introducing such additional directions, a large range of alternative models could be developed.
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Biggins
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Terentjev
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Warner