| Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 33, Number 7, March I 1996
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 521 - 526 | |
| Section | Classical areas of phenomenology | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i1996-00372-y | |
| Published online | 01 September 2002 | |
Polarization Frederiks transition in SmC* liquid-crystal films
1
Forschungszentrum Jülich, IFF - D52425 Jülich, Germany
2
Universität Essen, FB 7, Physik - D45117 Essen, Germany
3
Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung - D55021 Mainz, Germany
4
Theoretische Physik III, Universität Bayreuth - D95440 Bayreuth, Germany
Received:
28
August
1995
Accepted:
11
January
1996
A new Frederiks transition is predicted for freely suspended SmC* liquid-crystal films. Frederiks transitions in nematic liquid crystals are the result of the competition between two orientational effects. One coming from the orientation of the director field at the boundary and one from the orientational effect due to an external electrical or magnetic field acting on the bulk orientation of the director field via the magnetic or dielectric susceptibility anisotropy. Here we discuss the consequences of the additional ferroelectric torques. A new branch for the splay Frederiks transition due to the presence of the spontaneous polarization in SmC* liquid-crystal films is predicted, and it is pointed out that on this new branch a transition from supercritical to subcritical bifurcation behaviour can occur.
PACS: 47.20.-k – Hydrodynamic stability / 61.30.-v – Liquid crystals
© EDP Sciences, 1996
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