scholarly journals Phase transitions in nematics: textures with tactoids and disclinations

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmitry Golovaty ◽  
Young-Ki Kim ◽  
Oleg D. Lavrentovich ◽  
Michael Novack ◽  
Peter Sternberg
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Elastic Constants ◽  
Nematic Phase ◽  
Topological Defects ◽  
First Order ◽  
Gennes Theory

We demonstrate that a first order isotropic-to-nematic phase transition in liquid crystals can be succesfully modeled within the generalized Landau-de Gennes theory by selecting an appropriate combination of elastic constants. The numerical simulations of the model established in this paper qualitatively reproduce the experimentally observed configurations that include interfaces and topological defects in the nematic phase.

Molecular Ordering in Nematic MBCA and EPAPU

1990 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-32
Author(s):  
S. Sreehari Sastry ◽  
V. Venkata Rao ◽  
P. Narayana Murty ◽  
G. Satyanandam ◽  
T. F. Sundar Raj
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Order Parameter ◽  
Nematic Phase ◽  
Spin Probe ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystals ◽  
Experimental Techniques ◽  
First Order ◽  
Molecular Ordering

AbstractBy EPR, two nematic liquid crystals (MBCA and EPAPU) were investigated using a steroidal nitroxide spin probe. In both liquid crystals the isotropic-nematic phase transition is of first order. The observed variation of the order parameter with temperature is compared with predictions from the Maier-Saupe and Humphries-James-Luckhurst models and with results obtained by several other experimental techniques.

Phase transitions and topological defects

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kachelriess
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Early Universe ◽  
Topological Defects ◽  
False Vacuum ◽  
First Order ◽  
Broken Symmetries ◽  
First Order Phase Transition ◽  
True Vacuum ◽  
First Order Phase

As the early universe cools down, it may perform transitions to phases with more and more broken symmetries. In a first-order phase transition, fields may be trapped in the false vacuum; the rate of the resulting tunneling process to the true vacuum is derived. Phase transitions can lead also to the formation of topological defects. Their structure and the reason for their stability are discussed.

scholarly journals INFLUENCE OF PRESSURE ON SMECTIC A-NEMATIC PHASE TRANSITION

1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (09n10) ◽  
pp. 275-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
KISOR MUKHOPADHYAY ◽  
PRABIR K. MUKHERJEE
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Phenomenological Model ◽  
Order Parameter ◽  
Nematic Phase ◽  
Tricritical Point ◽  
Second Order ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
First Order ◽  
Smectic A

We propose a Landau-de Gennes phenomenological model to describe the pressure induced smectic A-nematic phase transition. The influence of pressure on smectic A-nematic phase transitions are discussed for varying coupling between orientational and translational order parameter with pressure. Increasing the pressure, the first order nematic-smectic A transition becomes second order at a tricritical point which agrees fairly well with available experimental results.

scholarly journals Electric properties of olive oil under pressure

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. T. Pawlicki ◽  
R. M. Siegoczyński ◽  
S. Ptasznik ◽  
K. Marszałek
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Structure ◽  
Phase Transition ◽  
Phase Diagram ◽  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Olive Oil ◽  
Material Parameters ◽  
First Order ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Capacitive Reactance ◽  
First Order Phase

AbstractThe main purpose of the experiment was a thermodynamic research with use of the electric methods chosen. The substance examined was olive oil. The paper presents the resistance, capacitive reactance, relative permittivity and resistivity of olive. Compression was applied with two mean velocities up to 450 MPa. The results were shown as functions of pressure and time and depicted on the impedance phase diagram. The three first order phase transitions have been detected. All the changes in material parameters were observed during phase transitions. The material parameters measured turned out to be the much more sensitive long-time phase transition factors than temperature. The values of material parameters and their dependence on pressure and time were compared with the molecular structure, arrangement of molecules and interactions between them. Knowledge about olive oil parameters change with pressure and its phase transitions is very important for olive oil production and conservation.

HIGH RESOLUTION CALORIMETRIC STUDIES AT PHASE TRANSITIONS OF ALKYLCYANOBIPHENYL LIQUID CRYSTALS CONFINED TO SUBMICRON SIZE CYLINDRICAL CAVITIES

1995 ◽  
Vol 09 (18n19) ◽  
pp. 2247-2283 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIELE FINOTELLO ◽  
GERMANO S. IANNACCHIONE
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Specific Heat ◽  
Pore Wall ◽  
Isotropic Phase ◽  
First Order ◽  
Smectic A ◽  
Nematic Director ◽  
Scalar Order Parameter

We review results of a high resolution systematic study of the specific heat for alkyl-cyanobiphenyl liquid crystals confined to the 0.2µm diameter cylindrical pores Anopore membranes. The nematic director alignment at the pore wall is varied from homeotropic to tangential by pore surface treatment. Several phenomena are uncovered by these studies which probed the weakly first order nematic to isotropic, the continuous smectic-A to nematic and the first order smectic-A to isotropic phase transitions. The specific heat is strongly dependent on the nematic director configuration, and confinement effects are remarkably distinct according to the order of the phase transition. The influence of elastic distortions and surface ordering and disordering effects are evident. Despite considerable departures from bulk behavior with regards to specific heat peaks size, rounding and width, and transition temperature shifts, a bulk-like critical behavior appears to be retained. The formation of smectic translational order within the pores is hindered for those liquid crystals that also possess a nematic phase. The average scalar order parameter temperature dependence is extracted from the specific heat results using a simplified Landau-de Gennes type of model, and is shown to be consistent with nuclear magnetic resonance results.

scholarly journals Cosmological phase transitions: is effective field theory just a toy?

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieke Postma ◽  
Graham White
Keyword(s):  
Field Theory ◽  
Phase Transition ◽  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Effective Field Theory ◽  
New Physics ◽  
Effective Field ◽  
Tree Level ◽  
Dark Sector ◽  
First Order ◽  
First Order Phase

Abstract To obtain a first order phase transition requires large new physics corrections to the Standard Model (SM) Higgs potential. This implies that the scale of new physics is relatively low, raising the question whether an effective field theory (EFT) description can be used to analyse the phase transition in a (nearly) model-independent way. We show analytically and numerically that first order phase transitions in perturbative extensions of the SM cannot be described by the SM-EFT. The exception are Higgs-singlet extension with tree-level matching; but even in this case the SM-EFT can only capture part of the full parameter space, and if truncated at dim-6 operators, the description is at most qualitative. We also comment on the applicability of EFT techniques to dark sector phase transitions.

scholarly journals Synthesis of 4-Chloro-1,3-Diazobenzene Bent-Cores Liquid Crystals and Characterizations of Their Mesogenic Behaviors and Photoisomerization Phenomena

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinying Lu ◽  
Zelong Zhang ◽  
Daoren Yan ◽  
Zhiyong Zhang ◽  
Jintao Guan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Nematic Phase ◽  
Dipole Moments ◽  
Intermolecular Forces ◽  
Acetate Solution ◽  
Molecular Dipole ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Nematic Phases ◽  
Terminal Chain

<p></p><p>Azobenzene-based bent-core liquid crystals demonstrate a variety of mesomorphic behaviors and photochromic properties which are desirable for optical switching. Nowadays azobenzene-based bent-core liquid crystal (ABLC) compounds usually exhibit at least one of the following traits which are unfavorable for practical applications: (1) narrow temperature windows of nematic phases, (2) high phase transition temperature, and (3) long period of light stimulation to reach photostationary states. In this study, a series of ABLC compounds <b>4a–4g</b> were synthesized by adding azo functional groups and chlorine substituent to the central bent-cores to form 4-chloro-1,3-dizaophenylene bent-cores. These ABLC compounds were characterized by i. fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), <sup>1</sup>H and <sup>13</sup>C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectrometry (MS) for their structures, ii. differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscopy (POM) for their mesogenic properties, and iii. ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and POM for their photosensitivity. The experimental results show that all compounds exhibited broad temperature windows of mesogenic phases. In particular, compound <b>4c</b> showed a broad temperature window of 63.8 °C for nematic phase. Molecular simulations indicate that the molecular dipole moments of compounds <b>4a–4g</b> are closely associated with the temperatures of Sm – N phase transition and temperature ranges of nematic phases. In addition, simulation results reveal that the terminal alkyl chains exhibit a diphasic effect on the molecular polarity: extending the terminal chain can initially reduce and then increase the molecular dipole moments due to the severe structural disorder of overly extended terminal chain. These findings indicate that the intermolecular forces play a vital role in shaping the mesogenic behavior of ABLCs. Comprehensive characterizations of photochromatic properties show that <b>4c</b> was highly photosensitive and displayed rapid photoisomerization processes. At room temperature, compound <b>4c </b>dissolved in ethyl acetate solution can reach photostationary state in 10 seconds. At 95 °C, compound <b>4c</b> in nematic phase became isotropic liquid under UV-irradiation in 3 seconds due to the forward <i>trans – cis</i> photoisomerization and can be restored to be nematic under natural visible light in 5 seconds because of the backward <i>cis – trans</i> photoisomerization. This study linking the mechanistic details with mesogenic properties provides valuable insights to improve future design of azobenzene bent-core liquid crystals for practical applications especially in photonic applications.</p><p><br></p><p>Pertinent molecular structure files (mol2) can be downloaded from</p><p><a href="https://github.com/er1czz/ABLC">https://github.com/er1czz/ABLC</a><br></p><p></p>

scholarly journals Order Parameters, Orientational Distribution Functions and Heliconical Tilt Angles of Oligomeric Liquid Crystals

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Mandle ◽  
John W. Goodby
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transition ◽  
Liquid Crystals ◽  
Tilt Angle ◽  
Order Parameter ◽  
Nematic Phase ◽  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Thermal Evolution ◽  
Order Parameters ◽  
Distribution Functions ◽  
Orientational Distribution

We compare the order parameters, orientational distribution functions (ODF) and heliconical tilt angles of the TB phase exhibited by a liquid-crystalline dimer (CB7CB) to a tetramer (O47) and hexamer (O67) by SAXS/WAXS. Following the N-TB phase transition we find that all order parameters decrease, and while 〈P2 〉 remains positive 〈P4 〉 becomes negative. For all three materials the order parameter 〈P6 〉 is near zero in both phases. The ODF is sugarloaf-like in the nematic phase and volcano-like in the TB phase, allowing us to estimate the heliconical tilt angle of each material and its thermal evolution. The heliconical tilt angle appears to be largely independent of the material studied despite the differing number of mesogenic units.

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