Author
E. F. Gramsbergen
Bio: E. F. Gramsbergen is an academic researcher from Solid State Physics Laboratory. The author has contributed to research in topics: Liquid crystal & Phase transition. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 7 publications receiving 349 citations.
Papers
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01 Jan 1986
TL;DR: In this paper, a review is given of the wide variety of predictionsthat results from a Landau-type of description of the nematic-isotropic phase transition, including a discussion of the nature of the order parameter and of the various types of possible phases, of the influence of external fields, and the effect of inclusionof spatial variationsof the order parameters.
Abstract: 224 Abstract: A reviewis given of the wide variety of predictionsthat resultsfrom a Landau-typeof descriptionof the nematic—isotropic phase transition. This includesa discussionof the nature of the order parameter and of the various types of possible phases, of the influenceof external fields,and of the effect of inclusionof spatial variationsof the order parameter. The variouspredictions are comparedwith the availableexperimentalresults. It is concluded that there is still no clear picture about the nature of the singularitynear the nematic—isotropic
Cited by
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TL;DR: In this paper, a review focusing on nematic liquid crystals is presented, where three main kinds of effects can be distinguished: the perturbation of the liquid crystalline structure close to the surface, the bulk liquid crystal structure is recovered with an orientation which is fixed by the surface and critical adsorption or wetting can occur at surfaces.
Abstract: As their name indicates, liquid crystals simultaneously exhibit some characteristics common to both ordinary isotropic liquids and solid crystals. This ambivalence is also found in the effects of surfaces on these systems which lead to a great diversity of phenomena. These phenomena are reviewed focusing on nematic liquid crystals which have the simplest structure among the many existing types and which have been the most extensively studied. Three main kinds of effects can be distinguished. The first concerns the perturbation of the liquid crystalline structure close to the surface. Beyond this transition region, the bulk liquid crystalline structure is recovered with an orientation which is fixed by the surface: this phenomenon of orientation of liquid crystals by surfaces is the so-called anchoring. Finally, close to bulk phase transitions, critical adsorption or wetting can occur at surfaces as is also seen in isotropic systems.
754 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the physics of colloidal dispersions in nematic liquid crystals is reviewed and three possible structures are identified and discussed in detail; the dipole, the Saturn-ring and the surface-ring configuration.
579 citations
446 citations
TL;DR: A comprehensive overview of phase transition studies can be found in this article, where the authors identify the essential key concepts and points of difficulty associated with the study of phase transitions and discuss the most widely used experimental techniques for measuring these transition properties.
308 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a general expression for the kinematic scattering cross-section of X-rays and neutrons impinging on an arbitrary interfacial structure is derived based on the distorted wave Born approximation.
161 citations