Eur. Phys. J. E 5, 317-328
Growth and shapes of a cubic lyotropic liquid crystal
P. Pieranski, L. Sittler, P. Sotta and M. Imperor-ClercLaboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Sud, Bât. 510, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France sotta@lps.u-psud.fr
(Received 22 November 2000)
Abstract
Monocrystals of the cubic lyotropic liquid crystal phase
V1 are studied in droplets of the mixture
surrounded by water vapor of controlled
pressure p. Shapes of monocrystals are found to depend on the
conditions of growth from the lamellar phase and on the nature of
the substrate. After the growth, when the lamellar phase is
exhausted and crystals are in equilibrium with water vapors, their
shapes are shown to depend on the pressure p. Thermodynamic
aspects of these phenomena are discussed.
64.70.Md - Phase transitions in liquid crystals.
82.65.Dp - Thermodynamics of surfaces and interfaces.
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2001
