Smectic-C elastomers can be prepared by cross-linking, e.g., liquid crystal polymers, in the smectic-A phase followed by a cooling through the smectic-A to smectic-C phase transition. This transition from D∞h to C 2h symmetry spontaneously breaks rotational symmetry in the smectic plane as does the transition from a smectic-A to a biaxial smectic phase with D2h symmetry. We study these transitions and the emergent elasticity of the smectic-C and biaxial phases in three related models and show that these phases exhibit soft elasticity analogous to that of nematic elastomers. © 2005 The American Physical Society.
CITATION STYLE
Stenull, O., & Lubensky, T. C. (2005). Phase transitions and soft elasticity of smectic elastomers. Physical Review Letters, 94(1). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.018304
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