New alternative for the smectic-A1-reentrant nematic-smectic-Ad bicritical point

Abstract

A high-resolution temperature-concentration diagram and detailed differential scanning calorimetry data near an expected smectic-A1-reentrant nematic-smectic-Ad bicritical point in a binary liquid-crystal system are presented. These results show that the bicritical point has split into a critical end point and a tricritical point, a situation which has not been predicted by any of the theories so far.