Effect of strong electric fields on phase transitions in some liquid crystals

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Title:	Effect of strong electric fields on phase transitions in some liquid crystals
Authors:	Basappa, Geetha Madhusudana, N.V.
Issue Date:	Sep-1996
Publisher:	Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.
Citation:	Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 1996, Vol.288 ,p161-174
Abstract:	An electric field couples to the orientational order in liquid crystals through dielectric anisotropy and is conjugate to the order. However the ionic flow produced by the field causes a dissipation of energy in the medium rendering an experimental study of the effect of the field on the order difficult. We have devised a method of measuring the local temperature of the sample, and both the dielectric constant whose value depends on the orientational order and the conductivity which is sensitive to the short range order in the medium. We report the electric field temperature phase diagrams of pentyl cyanobiphenyl (5CB) and octyloxy cyanobiphenyl (8OCB). The results include (a) the field induced enhancement of the orientational order (b) the critical field beyond which the nematic paranematic transition is continuous and (c) the effect of the field on the nematic-smectic A transition in 8OCB. The results are analysed using the appropriate Landau theories.
Description:	Restricted Access.
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/2289/2300
ISSN:	1058-725X
Alternative Location:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10587259608034593
Copyright:	1996 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V.
Appears in Collections:	Research Papers (SCM)

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