Resonant X-Ray Diffraction Study of an Unusually Large Phase Coexistance in Smectic Liquid-Crystal Films

Journal Article · Thu Jan 19 04:00:00 EST 2012 · Physical Review Letters

OSTI ID:1043389

Pan, L; Pindak, R; Barois, P; Liu, Z Q

The recent discovery of the new smectic-C{sub d6}* (SmC{sub d6}*) phase [S. Wang et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 104 027801 (2010)] also revealed the existence of a noisy region in the temperature window between the SmC{sub d6}* phase and the smectic-C{sub d4}* (SmC{sub d4}*) phase. Characterized by multiple resonant peaks spanning a wide region in Q{sub Z}, the corresponding structure of this temperature window has been a mystery. In this Letter, through a careful resonant x-ray diffraction study and simulations of the diffraction spectra, we show that this region is in fact an unusually large coexistence region of the SmC{sub d6}* phase and the SmC{sub d4}* phase. The structure of the noisy region is found to be a heterogeneous mixture of local SmC{sub d6}* and SmC{sub d4}* orders on the sub-{micro}m scale.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) National Synchrotron Light Source
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE SC OFFICE OF SCIENCE (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-98CH10886
• OSTI ID: 1043389
• Report Number(s): BNL--96999-2012-JA
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 108; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
DIFFRACTION
FILMS
LIQUID CRYSTALS
MIXTURES
PHASE STUDIES
SPECTRA
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
national synchrotron light source