Screw dislocations in the smectic C phase of liquid crystals

Abstract

The displacement field of the screw dislocation, the interaction energy of two parallel screw dislocations and their self-energy is calculated for a smectic C liquid crystal in the approximation of small deformations (small displacements and small angular variations of the optical axis). The core region totally escapes this analysis, inasmuch as some surface terms are not unambiguously defined. A non-linear analysis of a core full of matter would be required. Some possible models of the core are discussed.