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Updated: May 6, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
X-ray cross-correlation analysis of liquid crystal membranes in the vicinity of the hexatic-smectic phase transition
R P Kurta1, B I Ostrovskii, A Singer
1Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestraße 85, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany.
Abstract:
We present an x-ray study of liquid crystal membranes in the vicinity of the hexatic-smectic phase transition by means of angular x-ray cross-correlation analysis. By applying two-point angular-intensity cross-correlation functions to the measured series of diffraction patterns the parameters of bond-orientational (BO) order in hexatic phase were directly determined. The temperature dependence of the positional correlation lengths was analyzed as well. The obtained correlation lengths show larger values for the higher-order Fourier components of BO order. These findings indicate a strong coupling between BO and positional order.

