CRITICAL EXPONENTS OF THE ELECTRIC-FIELD-INDUCED SMECTIC-ALPHA FERROELECTRIC-SMECTIC-C LIQUID-CRYSTAL CRITICAL-POINT

Detailed measurements of tilt angle, polarization, and susceptibility have been carried out in the vicinity of the electric-field-induced smectic- A -ferroelectric-smectic-C critical point in order to determine the critical exponents beta, gamma, and delta describing the temperature dependences of order parameter and susceptibility, and the course of the critical isotherm. For beta, the mean-field value of 0.5 is found. The results for gamma and delta are less conclusive since values slightly smaller than the mean-field values are indicated.