Molecular-field-theory approach to the Landau theory of liquid crystals: Uniaxial and biaxial nematics
Molecular-field-theory approach to the Landau theory of liquid crystals: Uniaxial and biaxial nematics
Nematic liquid crystal phase diagrams in temperature-biaxiality space are usually complex. We construct a Landau theory based on the analogous molecular-field theory for orthorhombic biaxial nematic fluids. A formal procedure yields coefficients (some of which, unusually, can be tensorial) in this Landau expansion, correctly predicts the complete set of invariants formed from the ordering tensors, and avoids ad hoc parametrization of the molecular biaxiality. By regularizing the Landau expansion to avoid unwanted order parameter divergences at low temperatures, we predict phase behavior over the whole range of biaxiality. The resulting phase diagrams have the same topology as those of molecular-field theory.
031705-[21pp]
Luckhurst, Geoffrey R.
7807d1c6-54a1-414f-9abe-22de4d9c30f7
Naemura, Shohei
1bdc2453-38eb-41de-bbb3-20b1012a6e89
Sluckin, Timothy
8dbb6b08-7034-4ae2-aa65-6b80072202f6
Thomas, Kenneth
b107015f-c7d9-42cc-b87b-207c49e5369a
Turzi, Stefano S.
8242604a-aeaf-449f-8f05-29f37b1faf56
23 March 2012
Luckhurst, Geoffrey R.
7807d1c6-54a1-414f-9abe-22de4d9c30f7
Naemura, Shohei
1bdc2453-38eb-41de-bbb3-20b1012a6e89
Sluckin, Timothy
8dbb6b08-7034-4ae2-aa65-6b80072202f6
Thomas, Kenneth
b107015f-c7d9-42cc-b87b-207c49e5369a
Turzi, Stefano S.
8242604a-aeaf-449f-8f05-29f37b1faf56
Luckhurst, Geoffrey R., Naemura, Shohei, Sluckin, Timothy, Thomas, Kenneth and Turzi, Stefano S.
(2012)
Molecular-field-theory approach to the Landau theory of liquid crystals: Uniaxial and biaxial nematics.
Physical Review E, 85 (3), .
(doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.85.031705).
Abstract
Nematic liquid crystal phase diagrams in temperature-biaxiality space are usually complex. We construct a Landau theory based on the analogous molecular-field theory for orthorhombic biaxial nematic fluids. A formal procedure yields coefficients (some of which, unusually, can be tensorial) in this Landau expansion, correctly predicts the complete set of invariants formed from the ordering tensors, and avoids ad hoc parametrization of the molecular biaxiality. By regularizing the Landau expansion to avoid unwanted order parameter divergences at low temperatures, we predict phase behavior over the whole range of biaxiality. The resulting phase diagrams have the same topology as those of molecular-field theory.
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Published date: 23 March 2012
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EEE
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Local EPrints ID: 336437
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/336437
ISSN: 1539-3755
PURE UUID: b77a8135-9ee7-4081-b733-db027d093bec
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Date deposited: 26 Mar 2012 15:26
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:32
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Author:
Geoffrey R. Luckhurst
Author:
Shohei Naemura
Author:
Kenneth Thomas
Author:
Stefano S. Turzi
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