Effect of cross-link concentration on the isotropic to smectic-A phase transition in smectic elastomers

We describe the isotropic to smectic-A phase transition in smectic elastomers within Landau phenomenological theory. We analyze the effects of external mechanical stress and cross-link concentration on the isotropic to smectic-A phase transition. Both the orientational and translational order parame...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysica scripta Vol. 95; no. 3; pp. 35224 - 35228
Main Author Mukherjee, Prabir K
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published IOP Publishing 01.03.2020
Subjects
elastomers
liquid crystals
phase transitions
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Summary:We describe the isotropic to smectic-A phase transition in smectic elastomers within Landau phenomenological theory. We analyze the effects of external mechanical stress and cross-link concentration on the isotropic to smectic-A phase transition. Both the orientational and translational order parameters decrease with the increase of cross-link concentration. The first order isotropic to smectic-A transition in low-molecular-weight materials, can become weak first order transition in smectic elastomers. The effect of cross-link concentration on the strain birefringence and correlation length in the isotropic phase of the transition is discussed.
Bibliography:PHYSSCR-109471.R2
ISSN:0031-8949
1402-4896
DOI:10.1088/1402-4896/ab51e7