Effect of the microphase separation on the electro-optical properties of isotropic melts of thermotropic liquid crystals

摘要

An analytical expression for the free energy of the isotropic melt of a mesogen under the conditions of the microphase separation is obtained on the basis of the Landau-de Gennes approach. The temperature dependence of the orientation and translational order parameters of the parameter characterizing microstructuring and the Kerr constant of a melt is calculated. The theoretical calculations are compared with the results from studying electric birefringence in isotropic melts of comb polymers. It is revealed that the break in the temperature dependence of the inverse Kerr constant can occur at the temperature of microphase separation for phase transitions of the first and second kind.