Abstract
A theory of transitions between tilted hexatic- and - phases in liquid-crystal films is developed. A renormalization-group analysis leads to four tilted hexatic phases: the hexatic- and - phases, an intermediate hexatic- phase, and an unlocked phase. All these phases except the unlocked phase also exist if the films are crystalline rather than hexatic. These results are consistent with recent experiments on thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystals.
- Received 6 June 1988
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.61.416
©1988 American Physical Society
