Novel Features in Blue Phase Kossel Diagrams

Abstract

High resolution Kossel diagram images of the blue phases have been found to reveal previously unobserved features, some theoretically predicted by Belyakov, et al., These features consist of gaps in the Kossel line intensity at the crossing point of two or more Kossel lines and interference fringes in regions of many-wave diffraction. A simple theory, side-stepping the need to solve Maxwell's equations, based on the interference of light diffracted from multiple sets of Bragg planes is shown to qualitatively explain the results. Also, these many-wave diffraction features are shown to allow a solution to the phase problem in the blue phases. The modelled results are found to be in contradiction with the double twist model of BPII.