Liquid crystals in two dimensions: First-order phase transitions and nonuniversal critical behavior

Abstract

Liquid crystals in two dimensions undergo a first-order isotropic-to-quasi-nematic transition, provided the particle interactions are sufficiently ``sharp and narrow''. This implies phase coexistence between isotropic and quasi-nematic domains, separated by interfaces. The corresponding line tension is determined, and shown to be very small, giving rise to strong interface fluctuations. When the interactions are no longer ``sharp and narrow'', the transition becomes continuous, with non-universal critical behavior obeying hyperscaling, and approximately resembling the two-dimensional Potts model.

5 pages, 4 figures

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Entropy-driven phase transition in a system of long rods on a square lattice
• Comment on: Competing Interactions, the Renormalization Group, and the Isotropic-Nematic Phase Transition, by D. Barci and D. Stariolo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 200604 (2007)