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Crossover to tricritical behavior at the nematic to smecticA transition: An x-ray scattering study

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Zeitschrift für Physik B Condensed Matter

Abstract

We have carried out a comprehensive x-ray scattering study of the nematic to smecticA transition in the alkylbenzoate (nCB) and thiosulfate\(\bar nS5\) series. By changing the aliphatic chain lengthn (C n H2n+1) in these series, crossovers from critical to tricritical behavior are induced. We observe a smooth progression of effective exponents from the set,y≃1.5,v ‖≃0.80, andv ⊥≃0.67 toy=1.1,v ‖=0.6, andv ⊥=0.5 for the critical and tricritical regions respectively. In both cases the exponents are close to, but in disagreement with, values expected from current theoretical models. We conclude on an empirical basis that the varied exponents reported in the literature for other systems reflect the critical to tricritical crossover.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 02139, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    B. M. Ocko, R. J. Birgeneau & J. D. Litster

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  1. B. M. Ocko
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  2. R. J. Birgeneau
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  3. J. D. Litster
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Ocko, B.M., Birgeneau, R.J. & Litster, J.D. Crossover to tricritical behavior at the nematic to smecticA transition: An x-ray scattering study. Z. Physik B - Condensed Matter 62, 487–497 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01303581

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