Observation of Two-Dimensional Hexatic Behavior in Free-Standing Liquid-Crystal Thin Films.
01 January 1988
The bond-orientational ordering in free-standing liquid-crystal thin films of various thicknesses in the hexatic-B phase has been studied quantitatively using electron diffraction. By examining the scaling relation among the 6n-fold bond-orientational order parameters, it is demonstrated that the two-layer film exhibits truly two-dimensional hexatic behavior. There is evidence of crossover effects to higher dimensions in thicker films of just a few molecular layers.