Effect of smectic ordering on the dielectric properties of reentrant nematic mixtures

Abstract

We have measured the static dielectric constants b.epsipar and b.epsibottom as well as the low-frequency dispersion of b.epsipar for mixtures of two eutectic compositions exhibiting a reentrant nematic phase over a range of concentration. The dielectric properties of a nematic mixture, whose concentration is close to the critical concentration (Ccr) at which the smectic phase appears, are found to be markedly different from those for a concentration far away from (Ccr). This can be understood as being due to an increase in the smectic like ordering in the nematic phase as the critical concentration is approached.