Abstract

The microscopic environment of molecules at a surface of a liquid is different from those in the bulk. It is, therefore, likely that they may have different orientations at the surface than in the bulk. Liquid crystalline media are particularly interesting. They are often composed of polar molecules with long-range molecular ordering. Most of these media do not exhibit ferroelectricity, indicating that in the mesophases the molecules have equal probabilities pointing in opposite directions.

© 1986 Optical Society of America