title: Effect of enantiomeric excess on the phase behavior of antiferroelectric liquid crystals.
abstract: Null transmission ellipsometry and resonant x-ray diffraction are employed to study the effect of enantiomeric excess (EE) on the phase behavior of antiferroelectric liquid crystal 10OTBBB1M7. Phase sequence, layer spacing, and pitch of the helical structures of the smectic-C(α)* and smectic-C* phases are studied as a function of temperature and EE. Upon reducing EE, a liquid-gas-type critical point of the smectic-C(α)* to smectic-C* transition is observed, as well as the disappearance of the smectic-C(d4)* and the smectic-C(d3)* phases. Results are analyzed in a mean-field model.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
authors.forename: LiDong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.forename: Shun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Z Q
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pindak
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang