Eur. Phys. J. E (2006) 21: 111-116
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2006-10049-5

Regular Article

Travelling waves in two-dimensional smectic-C domains

¹ Departament de Quımica Fısica, Universitat de Barcelona, Martı i Franqués 1, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
² Departament de Quımica Orgànica, Universitat de Barcelona, Martı i Franqués 1, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
³ Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

^* e-mail: jignes@qf.ub.es

Received: 31 May 2006
Accepted: 16 October 2006
Published online: 27 November 2006

Abstract

Continued irradiation of smectic-C-like domains of photosensitive Langmuir monolayers from azobenzene derivatives induces the nucleation and propagation of orientational travelling waves as observed with Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). BAM image analysis has allowed to identify different dynamical behaviors involving the generation and propagation of such waves. A model based on the coupling between an orientational and a composition field proposes a scenario for dynamic self-assembly that accounts for most of the observed phenomena, and allows to pinpoint the relevance of boundary defects in wave-emitting structures.-1