# Quantized Layer Growth at Liquid-Crystal Surfaces

 Title: Quantized Layer Growth at Liquid-Crystal Surfaces Author: Ocko, B. M.; Braslau, A.; Pershan, Peter S.; Als-Nielsen, J.; Deutsch, M. Note: Order does not necessarily reflect citation order of authors. Citation: Ocko, B. M., A. Braslau, Peter S. Pershan, J. Als-Nielsen, and M. Deutsch. 1986. Quantized layer growth at liquid-crystal surfaces. Physical Review Letters 57(1): 94–97. Full Text & Related Files: Ocko_Quantized.pdf (881.2Kb; PDF) Abstract: We report x-ray reflectivity measurements on the free surface of dodecylcyanobiphenyl (12CB) at the isotropic to smectic-A phase transition. At about $$10^{\circ}C$$ above $$T_{IA}$$, smectic-A-like ordering develops at the surface while the bulk phase remains isotropic. The angular dependence of the specular reflectivity is consistent with a sinusoidal density modulation, starting at the surface and terminating abruptly, after an integral number of bilayers. As the transition is approached the number of layers increases in quantized steps from zero to five before the bulk undergoes a first-order transition to the smectic-A phase. Published Version: doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.57.94 Terms of Use: This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of-use#LAA Citable link to this page: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:10357487 Downloads of this work: