STRUCTURE OF PLANAR SOLITONS IN NEMATIC AND SMECTIC LIQUID-CRYSTALS

We have undertaken a theoretical study on the structure of planar soli tons in nematic and smectic liquid crystals. In nematics we find a sol iton solution which can be looked upon as an intertwine between two so litons. In a nematic obtained by unwinding a cholesteric and in a nema tic with very high dielectric anisotropy, we have worked out energetic s of solitons. A 2 pi soliton in a ferronematic or a smectic C becomes unstable due to the splay bend elastic anisotropy. The structures of pi solitons in smectic A and smectic C in the neighbourhood of a S-A-S -C phase transition have also been studied.