SURFACE AND BULK PERIODICAL STRUCTURES IN SMECTIC-C FILMS WITH ONE FREE-BOUNDARY

Textures of achiral and chiral smectic-C phases in highly homogeneous samples with one free boundary have been studied. A stripe state has been registered in the smectic-C phase of the Schiff base 4-n-hexyl-N-(4-n-pentyloxy-benzyliden)-aniline (5O.6). It is shown that this structure is a surface state analogous to the stripe texture of Langmuir films of fatty acids and is qualitatively different with respect to the stripe texture of free-standing films of the same material. A stripe state has been observed in the bulk chiral smectic-C* phase with a high spontaneous polarization. Properties of this texture in a sample with one free boundary are analogous to free-standing films, but the formation process of the texture is shifted to lower temperatures. © 1995 The American Physical Society.