Berlin 2018 – scientific programme

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 53: Complex Fluids and Soft Matter (joint session DY/ CPP / BP)

DY 53.3: Talk

Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 16:00–16:15, BH-N 334

Mechanically induced smectic-C to smectic-A phase transition during the rupture of a thin film — •Torsten Trittel and Ralf Stannarius — Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany

Mechanically induced phase transitions in condensed matter are quite rare, mostly they occur in the vicinity of the transition temperatures. We demonstrate a transition between liquid crystal mesophases that is induced far from the transition temperature, and involves solely capillary forces. The rupture of bubbles made from liquid crystal (LC) materials is observed with high speed imaging. In the smectic C phase, the LC molecules show a preferential tilt respective to the layers. We show that capillary forces during film rupture can trigger smectic C to smectic A transitions, which rapidly increase the film thickness while reducing the surface area of the films. The effect occurs on a microsecond scale, practically independent of film thickness and temperature.