Optical studies of the smectic-C-alpha* phase layer structure in free-standing films - art. no. 061711

The layer structure of the smectic-C-alpha* phase of one liquid-crystal com pound has been acquired from both differential optical reflectivity and ell ipsometry measurements in the free-standing film geometry. The data from bo th techniques display characteristic oscillations as a function of temperat ure, which can be described by a model for the film consisting of surface a nticlinic layers and an interior short-pitched azimuthal helix. These resul ts are consistent with those found previously for another compound. Depolar ized reflected light microscopy is used to study the films when the unique features of the aforementioned oscillations occur.