Title:	Phase diagram exhibiting a smectic-A–smectic-C–smectic-F meeting point
Authors:	Raja, V.N. Shankar Rao, D.S. Krishna Prasad, S.
Issue Date:	15-Jul-1992
Publisher:	The American Physical Society
Citation:	Physical Review A, 1992, Vol.46, R726-728
Abstract:	We report an observation of a smectic-A–smectic-C–smectic-F (A-C-F) meeting point in a binary liquid-crystalline system. Detailed high-precision x-ray measurements enabled us to characterize the meeting point as a triple point, a point at which the three phases coexist. A direct consequence of this result is the existence of a tricritical point (TCP) on the A-C boundary. Contrary to the known results, the TCP appears despite a large temperature range for the A phase and the occurrence of a nematic phase at a higher temperature. Bearing in mind that F is a tilted hexatic phase, it is suggested that a possible reason for this behavior is the molecular-tilt field arising from the coupling between the tilt and the bond-orientational-order parameters.
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/2289/1330
ISSN:	1094-1622 (online) 1050-2947
Alternative Location:	http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRA/v46/pR726
Copyright:	(1992) by the American Physical Society
Appears in Collections:	Research Papers (SCM)

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