Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 63, Number 1, July 2003
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 76 - 82 | |
Section | Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i2003-00480-8 | |
Published online | 01 June 2003 |
Phase transitions of nematic rubbers
1
Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Collège de France 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
2
Department of Physics, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences Ochanomizu University - 2-1-1, Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan
Received:
17
March
2003
Accepted:
2
May
2003
Single-crystal nematic elastomers undergo a transition from a
strongly ordered phase N to an “isotropic” phase I. We show
that: a) samples produced under tension by the Finkelmann
procedure are intrinsically anisotropic and should show a small
(temperature-dependent) birefringence in the high-temperature I
phase; b) for the transition via
cooling there is a spinodal limit but for the
transition via heating there is no soft mode at the
standard spinodal temperature; c) the
transition
is reminiscent of a martensitic transformation:
nucleation of the I phase should occur in the form of
platelets, making a well-defined angle with the director.
PACS: 64.70.Md – Transitions in liquid crystals / 64.60.Qb – Nucleation / 61.30.Vx – Polymer liquid crystals
© EDP Sciences, 2003
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