Nucleation Induced Undulative Instability in Thin Films of nCB Liquid Crystals

Preprint

28 May 2001

preprint
Published by arXiv in arXiv

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.cond-mat/0105536

Abstract

A surface instability is reported in thin nematic films of 5CB and 8CB, occurring near the nematic--isotropic phase transition. Although this instability leads to patterns reminiscent of spinodal dewetting, we show that it is actually based on a nucleation mechanism. Its characteristic wavelength does not depend markedly on film thickness, but strongly on the heating rate.

Keywords

UNDULATIVE INSTABILITY
INDUCED UNDULATIVE
NUCLEATION INDUCED
PHASE TRANSITION
LIQUID CRYSTALS
FILM THICKNESS
THIN FILMS

All Related Versions

Version 1, 2001-05-28, ArXiv
Published version: Europhysics Letters, 57 (4), 519.

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