Journal article
Antiferroelectric surface layers in a liquid crystal as observed by synchrotron x-ray scattering
The X-ray reflectivity form the surface of a liquid crystal with terminally polar (cyano substituted) molecules has been studied using a high-resolution triple-axis X-ray spectrometer in combination with a synchrotron source. It is demonstrated that at the surface of the smectic Al phase a few antiferroelectric double layers develop that can be distinguished from the bulk single layer structure.
A model is developed that separates the electron density in a contribution from the molecular form factor, and from the structure factor of the mono- and the bilayers, respectively. It shows that (i) the first molecular layer has tails up rather than heads up, (ii) the smectic order parameter of the first mono- and bilayer is saturated, (iii) the antiferroelectric bilayering does decay rather abruptly and not exponentially.
Language: | English |
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Year: | 1986 |
Pages: | 711-718 |
ISSN: | 03020738 and 27773396 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1051/jphys:01986004704071100 |