title: A two-dimensional nematic phase of magnetic nanorods.
abstract: We report a hybrid mesophase consisting of magnetic nanorods confined between the non-ionic surfactant bilayers of a lamellar phase. The magnetic field-induced ordering of the nanorods was measured experimentally and modeled by a two-dimensional Onsager theory including the third virial coefficient. The nanorods are strongly confined in layers, with no orientational coupling from one layer to the next. At high volume concentration they exhibit spontaneous in-plane orientational ordering and form a stack of independent two-dimensional nematic systems. This isotropic-nematic transition is first-order.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, UMR 8502, 91405 Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Kostyantyn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Slyusarenko
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, UMR 8502, 91405 Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Doru
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Constantin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, UMR 8502, 91405 Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Davidson