J.

Atoms and Molecules/ 3(4); 2013 / 570575 Research Article

Rita GA et al

Journal of Atoms and Molecules

An International Online Journal
ISSN 2277 1247

OPTICAL TEXTURES IN LIQUID CRYSTAL MIXTURES Rita A.Gharde1, Jyoti R. Amare1*, Santosh A. Mani3
1 2

Department of Physics, University of Mumbai, Mumbai 400098 K. J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Vidyavihar (E), Mumbai 400077 Revised on: 25-08-2013 Accepted on: 28082013

Received on: 19-08-2013 ABSTRACT:

Transition temperature is of the one of the important characteristics of a Liquid Crystal (LC) which can be measured over temperature range of phases. The phase transition of liquid crystal between various mesomorphic forms occurs at a thermodynamically defined temperature as the liquid crystal undergoes a change in internal order at the point of phase transition. In this paper, we studied the properties of light as it propagates through a sample of nematic liquid crystal. We studied scattering of light at various temperatures through nematic liquid crystals using Fabry Perot Scattering Studies (FPSS). These results are analyzed with the help Polarizing Microscopy Spectroscopic (PMS).These studies have confirmed the mesophase transition temperatures which were found using Polarizing Microscopy study (PMS). KEY WORDS: Liquid Crystal (LC), Fabry Perot Scattering Studies (FPSS), Polarising Microscopy Studies (PMS), Phase Transition Temperatures (PTTs).

INTRODUCTION: * Corresponding author Jyoti R. Amare, Email: jyo_cl2003@yahoo.co.in Liquid Crystal (LC) is a distinct phase of matter which possesses structural and behavioural properties that make them unique model systems. There are many different types of LC phases. One of them is Thermotropic liquid crystals, which exhibit mesomorphic behaviour within certain temperature range. They are either discotic, having planar, disc like molecules or calamitic, having cylinder shaped rod like molecules. The mesophase of thermotropic liquid crystals are thermodynamically stable but only partially ordered phase. Each mesophase is described by its degree of order. If mesophase has orientational order only, it is www.jamonline.in 570

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J. Atoms and Molecules/ 3(4); 2013 / 570575 called nematic (N), if it has both orientational and positional order it is called Smectic (Sm).The nematic liquid crystal phase is the most important mesophase. The anisotropy of nematic liquid crystals causes light polarized along the director to propagate at a different velocity than light polarized perpendicular to the director. Nematic liquid crystals are therefore birefrigent. Normally, no light emerges from crossed polarizer i.e. light emerging from first polarizer is completely absorbed by second polarizer. Insertion of isotropic material does not change this behaviour, because polarization of light is unchanged as it travels through isotropic material [112]. The orientational order parameter in thermotropic liquid crystal changes with temperature and this property has been used to investigate the phase transition phenomenon in LC. The different LC phases have distinct texture. Polarizing Microscopy Studies (PMS) is the most preferred technique for phase identification of LC sample. Textures of LC under Polarizing Microscopy are usually taken with the sample between crossed polarizers. The director usually points in different directions at different points within the samples. The areas where the director is oriented parallel or perpendicular to the axes of polarizer appear dark, while areas other than this appear bright. The brightness changes abruptly at many places, indicating that the orientation of the director. These lines are called disclinations and represent places where the director is really undefined, since it points in many directions within an extremely small region. At many places some dark areas convergence at right angles, when director is along one of the polarization axes. The degree of orientational order in a liquid crystal varies with temperature. The refractive index also varies for polarized parallel and perpendicular All rights reserved 2011

Rita GA et al to the director and also changes with temperature. [1 5] EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES: The experimental parameter involved in the present study was investigated in detail for pure form of oleate and their mixtures. The methods used in this paper are Polarizing Microscopy Studies (PMS) and Fabry Perot Scattering Studies (FPSS). The phase transition temperatures were obtained by FPSS. These results were confirmed by PMS. PMS is used for studying the textures in heating and cooling cycles of the samples. The identification of the mesophase through PMS involves the magnified view of thin sample of liquid crystal sandwiched between two glass plates. This is then placed on hot stage of PMS, which can be accurately temperature controlled between polarisers which are crossed at 900 to each other. Since the polarisers are crossed at 900 to each other, with no sample in space light is extinguished and so blackness is seen. Similarly if an isotropic liquid is analyzed, the polarized light remains unaffected by the sample and so no light passes through the analyzer. When an anisotropic, birefringment medium is present, light is not extinguished and an optical texture appears that gives information related to the arrangement of molecules within the medium. In this work the samples have been studied using a low power (2mW) He-Ne laser as the optical source. A Fabry Perot etalon coupled to a spectrometer telescope forms the rest of the experimental set up. Indigenous electric heaters were used to heat the LC samples. The Laser light scattered by the LC sample at 900 to the incident beam was allowed to fall on the Fabry Perot etalon and Fabry Perot rings were obtained. The diameters of the rings were measured at various temperatures. A change in diameters signifies a mesophase transition. The temperatures were measured www.jamonline.in 571

J. Atoms and Molecules/ 3(4); 2013 / 570575 accurately using a Remote sensing infrared thermometer having a resolution of 0.10C. The experiment is repeated for many heating and cooling cycles. The measurements of the scattering experiment were plotted for temperature Vs. angular diameter of the Fabry Perot rings. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: 1. Observations by Fabry - Perot Scattering Studies (FPSS): The diameters of Fabry Perot rings at various temperatures were measured and graphs were plotted for various heating and cooling cycles. Figure 1(a) and Figure 1(b) shows the graphical mapping of temperature Vs angular diameter of Fabry Perot rings for mixed and pure liquid crystal. The graph shows an abrupt variation at the mesophase transition temperature.
Diameter

Rita GA et al

3.0

Oleate

Ring 1 Ring 2 Ring 3 Ring 4 Ring 5

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0
Mix N+CL+o
4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Ring 1 Ring 2 Ring 3 Ring 4 Ring 5

28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56

Temp C
Figure 1(b) The graphical mapping of temperature Vs angular diameter of Fabry Perot rings for pure liquid crystal.

Diameter

2. Observations by Polarizing Microscopy Studies (PMS): The phase structures were determined by Polarizing Microscopy Studies (PMS). Textures were observed for various temperatures in heating and cooling cycles. Nematic Threaded texture appeared at 46.50C, Cholesteric texture with oily streaks at appeared at 47.50C and Smectic texture appeared at a 43.50C for Liquid Crystal. In mixture, Nematic Threaded texture appeared at 500C, Cholesteric texture with oily streaks www.jamonline.in 572

Temp C

Figure 1(a) The graphical mapping of temperature Vs angular diameter of Fabry Perot rings for mixed liquid crystal. All rights reserved 2011

J. Atoms and Molecules/ 3(4); 2013 / 570575 appeared at 580C. In oily streaks the director is basically anchored under planar conditions at the substrates, which implies that the cholesteric helix axis is oriented perpendicular to glass plates. They consist of pairs of edge dislocations. The orientation of the helix along the direction of light propagation is verified by Polarizing Microscope by rotation of the sample between crossed polarizers. Figure 2 shows the texture of pure form of oleate and their mixtures at various temperatures.

Rita GA et al

Fig. 2(c) Cholesteric texture with oily streaks at 47.5 0 C

Fig. 2(a) Nematic Threaded texture at 46.5 0C

Fig. 2(d) Texture with oily streaks 350C

Fig. 2(b) Texture with oily streaks 450C

Fig. 2(e) Smectic Phase at 43.5 0 C

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J. Atoms and Molecules/ 3(4); 2013 / 570575 CONCLUSION:

Rita GA et al

The transition temperatures were found to be extended by 20 to 40C and lower by 40 to 60C for different concentrations of the sample using FPSS observations. These results were confirmed by PMS. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: We would like to acknowledge the help and encouragement given to us by Prof. D. C. Kothari Head, Department of Physics, University of Mumbai. We are also very much thankful to Dr. Shubha Pandit, Principal, K.J. Somaiya College of Engineering, for her help and motivation. REFERENCES: 1. P. J. Collings and Micheal Hird, Introduction to Liquid Crystals (Chemistry & Physics), Taylor & Francis Publishers Ltd. London (1997). 2. S. J. Gupta, R. A. Gharde Characterization of FLCs using Lasers Proceeding of SPIE Vol.4970, 128, 2003. 3. S. J. Gupta, R. A. Gharde and A. Tripathi Phase transition Temperature of Liquid crystals using Fabry Perot Etalon Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals; Vol. 364-368 (2001) 4. S. J. Gupta, R. A. Gharde and A. Tripathi Investigation of a AFLCs using Fabry Perot Etalon" Liquid Crystals: Chemistry, Physics, and Applications, SPIE Vol.4759, Poland (2002). 5. Gupta Sureshchandra J., Rita A. Gharde, et.al Fabry Perot Scattering Studies of Mixtures of Cholesteryl Liquid Crystals, Journal of Optics,Vol.34 No.2,ISSN 0972-8821,pg.82,April-June 2005
Fig. 2(f) Nematic Schlieren texture at the clearing point with droplate at 580C

Fig. 2(g) Phase transition Nematic/SG, Starshaped G domain with six fold sym. axis at 450C

Fig. 2(f) Nematic Threaded Texture at 450C

6. Rita Gharde and Sangeeta Thakare Effect of Light on Nematic Liquid Crystal, AIP Conf. Proc. 1391, pp. 86-88; doi:10.1063/1.3646787 www.jamonline.in 574

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J. Atoms and Molecules/ 3(4); 2013 / 570575 7. R. A. Gharde and S.V. Phonde Phase Transition of Liquid Crystal doped with Nanopowder, International Conference on Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, NANO 2010 Dec 13-16, 2010,IUPAC.Macmilan Publisher India Limited 8. S. Chandrashekhar, Liquid Crystals Cambridge University Press ,Cambridge London (1992)

Rita GA et al 9. N. H. Hartshone, The Microscopy of Liquid Crystals, Edward Arnold

Publishers Ltd. London (1977). 10. N. H. Hartshone and Astuart, Crystals and Polarizing Microscope, Edward

Arnold publishers Ltd. London (1970) 11. Franklin D. Saeva Liquid crystals The fourth state of matter 12. Peter J. Collings Introduction to Liquid Crystal Chemistry and Physics

How to cite this article: Rita A.Gharde, Jyoti R. Amare, Santosh A. Mani Optical textures in liquid crystal mixtures J. Atoms and Molecules, 3(4), 2013 : 570 575. All rights reserved 2011 www.jamonline.in 575