Homeotropic surface anchoring and the layer-thinning transition in free-standing films.
Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys
; 77(1 Pt 1): 011704, 2008 Jan.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-18351863
In this work, we investigate the interplay between surface anchoring and finite-size effects on the smectic-isotropic transition in free-standing smectic films. Using an extended McMillan model, we study how a homeotropic anchoring stabilizes the smectic order above the bulk transition temperature. In particular, we determine how the transition temperature depends on the surface ordering and film thickness. We identify a characteristic anchoring for which the transition temperature does not depend on the film thickness. For strong surface ordering, we found that the thickness dependence of the transition temperature can be well represented by a power-law relation. The power-law exponent exhibits a weak dependence on the range of film thicknesses, as well as on the molecular alkyl tail length. Our results reproduce the main experimental findings concerning the layer-thinning transitions in free-standing smectic films.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys
Asunto de la revista:
BIOFISICA
/
FISIOLOGIA
Año:
2008
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Brasil
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos