| Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 57, Number 4, February 2002
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 519 - 525 | |
| Section | Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2002-00492-x | |
| Published online | 01 September 2002 | |
Nucleation-induced undulative instability in thin films of nCB liquid crystals
Department of Applied Physics, Ulm University - D-89069 Ulm,
Germany
Received:
24
September
2001
Accepted:
23
November
2001
A surface instability is reported in thin nematic films of 5CB and 8CB, occurring near the nematic-isotropic phase transition. Although this instability leads to patterns which are reminiscent of spinodal dewetting (and have been interpreted as such), we show that it is actually based on a nucleation mechanism. Its characteristic wavelength does not depend markedly on film thickness, but strongly on the heating rate.
PACS: 64.70.Md – Transitions in liquid crystals / 68.60.-p – Physical properties of thin films, nonelectronic / 61.30.Pq – Microconfined liquid crystals: droplets, cylinders, randomly confined liquid crystals, polymer dispersed liquid crystals, and porous systems
© EDP Sciences, 2002
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