A triblock copolymer that undergoes a thermotropic order-order transition b
etween hexagonally packed cylinders (C) and body-centered-cubic spheres (S)
is examined. Transmission electron microscopy provides real space images,
and small-angle x-ray scattering the reciprocal space signature, of fluctua
tions with cubic symmetry in the stable (shear-aligned) hexagonal phase. Th
ese results support recent theoretical predictions. There is evidence of an
interesting induction time for the onset of fluctuations that is attribute
d to a slight mismatch in principal lattice spacings between the C and S mi
crostructures.