The Structural Transitions in Liquid Crystals Doped with Fine Magnetic Particles

Abstract

The stable ferronematics and ferrosmectics (combination of liquid crystals with fine magnetic particles) were prepared for 8CB liquid crystal and magnetc particles 11 nm in diameter. The structural transitions i.e. magnetic Fredericksz transition were indicated by means of dielectric and conductivity measurements.The experimental results i.e. the proof of initial condition \(\overrightarrow n _0 \bot \overrightarrow m _0\) (\(\overrightarrow n _0\) is director of LC molecules and \(\overrightarrow m _0\) is magnetic moment of particles) and the increase of the threshold field of Fredericksz transition vs volume conduction of magnetic particles are in qualitative agreement with the Burylov and Raikher theory of thermotropic ferronematics.