Anisotropic Features in the Dynamics of Nematic-Nematic Phase Separation

Abstract

We have studied the dynamics of a nematic-nematic phase separation in mixtures of a mesomorphic polymer with a low-molecular-weight liquid crystal by performing temperature quenches at a number of compositions. The appearance of a new phase and its subsequent growth were observed with an optical microscope. A striking result is the formation of a regular striated pattern whose period increases with time according to a $\frac{1}{3}$-power law.