Polydispersity stabilizes Biaxial Nematic Liquid Crystals

Details Polydispersity stabilizes Biaxial Nematic Liquid Crystals Polydispersity stabilizes Biaxial Nematic Liquid Crystals

2011-06-26

arxiv.org/abs/1106.5200v2

Physics

Condensed Matter

Soft Condensed Matter

Scientific paper

Inspired by the observations of a remarkably stable biaxial nematic phase [E.v.d. Pol et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 258301 (2009)], we investigate the effect of size polydispersity on the phase behavior of a suspension of boardlike particles. By means of Onsager theory within the restricted orientation (Zwanzig) model we show that polydispersity induces a novel topology in the phase diagram, with two Landau tetracritical points in between which oblate uniaxial nematic order is favored over the expected prolate order. Additionally, this phenomenon causes the opening of a huge stable biaxiality regime in between uniaxial nematic and smectic states.

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