HEAT-CAPACITY ANOMALIES FROM 4-LAYER LIQUID-CRYSTAL FILMS - EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND SIMULATION RESULTS

Our recent heat-capacity measurements on four-layer free-standing liqu id-crystal films near the smectic-A-hexatic-B transition of n-heptyl-4 '-n-pentyloxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate (75OBC) exhibit separate heat-capa city anomalies associated with the distinct ordering of the interior a nd surface layers. Employing the Metropolis Monte Carlo technique, we have simulated these transitions in a layered system with finite thick ness (for example, 30 X 30 X 4). Comparison between our experimental a nd simulation results indicates that the anisotropy between inter- and intralayer interactions plays an important role in our experimental f indings. Furthermore, the ratio of intra- to interlayer interactions s trength should be more than 100.