Mode coupling theory of the isotropic-nematic transition in sidechain liquid crystalline polymers

Helmut R. Brand; Kyozi Kawasaki

doi:doi:10.1051/jp2:1994144

Numéro		J. Phys. II France Volume 4, Numéro 4, April 1994


Page(s)		543 - 548
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1051/jp2:1994144

DOI: 10.1051/jp2:1994144
J. Phys. II France 4 (1994) 543-548

Mode coupling theory of the isotropic-nematic transition in sidechain liquid crystalline polymers

Helmut R. Brand¹ and Kyozi Kawasaki²

¹ Theoretische Physik III, Universitiät Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
² Department of Physics, Kyushu University 33, Fukuoka 812, Japan

(Received 21 January 1994, accepted 1 March 1994)

Abstract
Using a mode coupling technique we investigate the dynamics near the isotropic-nematic transition in liquid crystalline sidechain polymers. While in mean field approximation one obtains z = 1 for the dynamical critical exponent z for the relaxation time of the order parameter, we get from mode coupling the value z = 1.5, a result which is in agreement with recent experiments done in Martinoty's group on two different classes of sidechain liquid crystalline polymers using electric and acoustic birefringence measurements. An analysis of recent measurements of the dynamic stress-optical coefficient in sidechain elastomers shows that mode coupling effects are also important in that case.