Observation of Unusual Surface Ordering in a Uniaxial <span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mi>Sm</mi><mi>−</mi><mi mathvariant="italic">A</mi></math></span> Phase Formed by a Highly Biaxial Compound

D. A. Olson; X. F. Han; A. Cady; W. Weissflog; C. C. Huang

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.085504

Observation of Unusual Surface Ordering in a Uniaxial $Sm - A$ Phase Formed by a Highly Biaxial Compound

D. A. Olson, X. F. Han, A. Cady, W. Weissflog, and C. C. Huang

Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 085504 – Published 7 February 2002

Abstract

We have studied one banana-shaped compound using null-transmission ellipsometry. By studying free-standing films of various thicknesses we confirm that this compound exhibits the $Sm - A$ phase. This is the first banana-shaped compound with a relatively small bend angle ( $\sim 140 °$ ) in which a uniaxial phase has been observed. At the lower temperature end of the $Sm - A$ phase we observe unusual ordering at the surface of the film.

Received 21 September 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.085504

Authors & Affiliations

D. A. Olson¹, X. F. Han¹, A. Cady¹, W. Weissflog², and C. C. Huang¹

¹School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
²Institute für Physikalische Chemie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Mühlpforte 1, D-06108 Halle, Germany