Abstract

Rayleigh light scattering spectra in liquid crystals make possible to receive valuable information about static and dynamic characteristics of order parameter fluctuations in isotropic phase as well as dynamics of structure of mesophases. A few experimental studies of the shape and halfwidth of the Rayleigh line wing (RLW) in the isotropic phase of nematic liquid crystals (NLC) have shown that the latter are very narrow in comparison with the RLW halfwidth δν in ordinary liquids [1]. Whereas τ=1/2πcδν~10¹²÷τ10^‒10 s can be found in ordinary liquids, we have τ~10^‒8÷10^‒7 s in LC. So, values of τ are in the range, which is bordered with possibilities of correlation spectrometry and unattainable for plane Fabry-Perrot interferometers. Only the using spherical interferometer with the stabilized single-frequency laser makes possible such researches.

© 1996 Optical Society of America