Biaxiality of cholesteric phases in rod-like polymer solutions

Abstract

A mean field theory for the biaxiality of a cholesteric phase in rod-like polymer solutions is presented. By taking into account both excluded volume and attractive interactions between rods, we calculate the biaxiality of the cholesteric phase as a function of temperature and concentration. At low concentrations of rods, the biaxiality increases with increasing temperature. At high concentrations above , the biaxiality becomes the maximum as a function of temperature. We also calculate phase diagrams on the temperature–concentration plane and study phase separations between an isotropic phase and a biaxial cholesteric phase.

Keywords:

• biaxiality
• cholesteric phase
• rod-like polymer
• phase separation
• chiral liquid crystal

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Grant-in Aid for Scientific Research (C) [grant number 26400435] from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.