A Gallery of Meniscus Patterns of Free-Standing Smectic Films

Abstract

Spontaneously formed stripe patterns covering the menisci of free-standing smectic films have been described already about 40 years ago, but there was no comprehensive optical investigation of their textures so far. Recently, atomic force microscopy, interferometry and polarised light microscopy studies have cast doubts at their classical interpretation as surface-splay induced domains. That interpretation is not able to explain several basic features of the striped domains. Here, we review some characteristic properties of the stripe domains and related patterns, i.e. textures that decorate regions with film thickness gradients. We discuss changes during phase transitions of the smectic films to collect information on the complex internal structure of the observed patterns.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge W. Weissflog for supply of mesogenic material. AFM measurements were performed with B. Schulz and C. Bahr in the Max-Plack Institute for Structure Formation and Self-Organisation in Göttingen, Germany. This study was partially funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft under grant ER 467/2-2 and STA 425/28.