Surface-induced ordering effect in one antiferroelectric liquid crystal compound

Abstract

Null transmission ellipsometer was employed to study the surface-induced tilt transition of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal compound in the bulk smectic-A (SmA) temperature range. The data of the surface tilt transition can be fitted with an extended mean-field model. These results indicate the transition is near a mean-field tricritical point. The surface layers' tilt directions are found to be in different planes several degrees above the bulk SmA-SmC alpha* transition.