Birefringence and Optical Rotatory Dispersion of a Compensated Cholesteric Liquid Crystal

Abstract
Utilizing deVries' model for the optical rotatory power of cholesteric mesophases, the temperature and wavelength dependence of the birefringence, Δn, of a compensated cholesteric liquid crystal was determined from optical rotatory dispersion measurements. Deviations from symmetry in the optical rotation around Tnematic of such a compensated system are due to the temperature dependence of Δn. Refractometer measurements of the ordinary refractive index were also performed and values of the three principal refractive indices were calculated. The ordinary refractive index of the focal conic texture was observed to be higher than that of the plane texture of the cholesteric phase.

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