Title:	A molecular theory of smectic C liquid crystals made of rod-like molecules
Authors:	Govind, A.S. Madhusudana, N.V.
Issue Date:	2002
Publisher:	EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag
Citation:	European Physical Journal E, 2002, Vol.9, p107-126
Abstract:	Organic compounds exhibiting the smectic C phase are made of rod-like molecules that have dipolar groups with lateral components. We argue that the off-axis character of the lateral dipolar groups can account for tilt in layered smectics (SmC, SmC*, SmI etc.). We develop a mean-field theory of the smectic C phase based on a single-particle potential of the form UC œ sin(2Š)cos{, consistent with the biaxial nature of the phase, where Š and { are the polar and azimuthal angles, respectively. The hard-rod interactions that favour the smectic A phase with zero tilt angle are also included. The theoretical phase diagrams compare favourably with experimental trends. Our theory also leads to the following results: i) a first-order smectic C to smectic A transition above some value of the McMillan parameter f, leading to a tricritical point on the smectic C to smectic A transition line and ii) a first-order smectic C to smectic C transition over a very small range of values of the model parameters. We have also extended the theory to include the next higher-order term in the tilting potential and to include the effect of different tilt angles for the molecular core and the chain in the SmC phase.
Description:	Restricted Access.
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/2289/2812
ISSN:	1292-8941 1292-895X(Online)
Alternative Location:	http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1140/epje/i2002-10060-x
Copyright:	2002 EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag
Appears in Collections:	Research Papers (SCM)

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