Surface-induced ordering in thin uniaxial liquid crystal films

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Uniaxial liquid crystal films exhibit complex interface localization transitions.
• Competing surface fields influence these transitions.
• Understanding these phenomena is crucial for materials science applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the interface localization transition in thin uniaxial liquid crystal films.
• Analyze the impact of competing surface fields on the transition.
• Determine the relationship between molecular interactions and critical temperature.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations.
• Employed a lattice model of continuously orientable interacting spins.
• Incorporated bilinear and biquadratic contributions to the Hamiltonian.

Main Results:

• The critical temperature (T(c)) for the interface localization transition is strongly dependent on the ratio of bilinear to biquadratic interactions.
• When biquadratic interactions dominate, T(c) approaches the bulk critical temperature.
• Reduced biquadratic interaction strength causes T(c) to significantly deviate from the bulk critical temperature.

Conclusions:

• The interplay between bilinear and biquadratic interactions dictates the interface localization transition temperature in liquid crystal films.
• Simulation results provide insights into the behavior of uniaxial liquid crystals under varying surface field conditions.
• This research contributes to the fundamental understanding of phase transitions in anisotropic materials.