Dielectric studies of the hexatic B-smectic A and crystal B-smectic A transitions

Abstract

Static dielectric constants, εll and ει, as well as the low frequency dielectric dispersion of εll have been studied in the vicinity of the hexatic B-smectic A transition in n-hexyl-4'-pentyloxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate (650BC) and n-butyl-4'- hexyloxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate (460BC) and also near the crystal B-smectic A transition in n-(4-n-butyloxybenzylidene)-4-n-octylaniin (40.8). While the behaviour of the dielectric anisotropy is essentially similar for both transitions, the dispersion results show significant differences.