Abstract
Dynamic light scattering is used to probe the fluctuation modes of a liquid crystal exhibiting twist grain boundary (TGB) structure. At the chiral nematic to proposed “chiral line liquid” phase transition, anomalous temperature dependence in the fluctuation spectrum and an instability in the helicoidal director structure signify developing TGB order. At lower temperatures, the behavior of the smectic layer-director fluctuations (“soft” mode) indicates that the previously identified commensurate [Formula presented] phase may in fact be a [Formula presented] phase with an unusually small tilt angle.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 4 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Physical Review Letters |
| Volume | 90 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2003 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Physics and Astronomy