Effects of Disorder on a Smectic-A-nematic Phase Transition

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2006 · Phys. Rev. E

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.73.060702· OSTI ID:914225

Larochelle, S; Ramazanoglu, M; Birgeneau, R

Using x-ray scattering, we have studied the nematic to smectic-A phase transition of the liquid crystal butyloxybenzilidene-octylaniline confined in an aerosil network. We find that the disorder introduced by the aerosil network destroys the long-range nature of the phase transition, and that the transition becomes similar to that observed in a finite-size system, with finite low-temperature correlation lengths of the ordered moments and a power-law behavior of the order parameter with respect to the reduced temperature observable in a limited temperature range. We also show evidence for a systematic evolution of the effective order parameter critical exponent {beta} with increasing disorder.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) National Synchrotron Light Source
• Sponsoring Organization: Doe - Office Of Science
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-98CH10886
• OSTI ID: 914225
• Report Number(s): BNL--78793-2007-JA
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. E, Journal Name: Phys. Rev. E Vol. 73; ISSN PLEEE8; ISSN 1063-651X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
LIQUID CRYSTALS
ORDER PARAMETERS
ORDER-DISORDER TRANSFORMATIONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
national synchrotron light source