Nematic--to--Smectic-A Transition in Aerogel
Soft Condensed Matter
2009-10-30 v2 Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Statistical Mechanics
Abstract
We study a model for the Nematic--Smectic-A (NA) transition in aerogel, and find that even arbitrarily weak quenched disorder (i.e., low aerogel density) destroys translational (smectic) order. Ignoring elastic anharmonicities, but keeping anharmonic couplings to disorder, leads to the prediction that there is no ``Bragg glass'' phase in this system: it is riddled with dislocation loops induced by the quenched disorder. Orientational (nematic) order is destroyed as well, as is the thermodynamically sharp NA transition, in agreement with recent experimental results.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9702011,
title = {Nematic--to--Smectic-A Transition in Aerogel},
author = {Leo Radzihovsky and John Toner},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9702011},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
version to appear in Phys. Rev. Lett., minor changes and references added