Structure of smectic defect cores: x-ray study of 8CB liquid crystal ultrathin films

Phys Rev Lett. 2006 Jan 20;96(2):027803. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.027803. Epub 2006 Jan 19.

Abstract

We study the structure of very thin liquid crystal films frustrated by antagonistic anchorings in the smectic phase. In a cylindrical geometry, the structure is dominated by the defects for film thicknesses smaller than 150 nm and the detailed topology of the defects' cores can be revealed by x-ray diffraction. They appear to be split in half tube-shaped rotating grain boundaries (RGB). We determine the RGB spatial extension and evaluate its energy per unit length. Both are significantly larger than the ones usually proposed in the literature.