Theory of Smectic C Liquid Crystals

Section 6.2 introduces the basic mathematical description of SmC liquid crystals and proceeds to discuss the associated elastic energy, magnetic and electric energies, equilibrium equations and an elementary Preedericksz transition. The dynamic theory will be summarised in Section 6.3. It is worth emphasising now that in this theory the viscous stress is identical for both SmC and SmC liquid crystals and 

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The results and applications in Chapters 2 to 5 for nematic liquid crystals are given in fairly full mathematical detail. It has been my experience that the stumbling block for many people comes at the first attempts at the actual calculations here I will reveal many details and more explanation than is usually given in articles and common texts, in the hope that readers will gain confidence in how to apply the main results from continuum theory to practical problems. These Chapters contain extensive derivations of the static and dynamic nematic theory and applications. Chapter 6, on the other hand, does not give as many detailed computations as those presented in the earlier Chapters it is my intention that it introduces the reader to a continuum theory of smectic C liquid crystals and it is probably written more in the style of an introductory review. This is partly because some of the calculations are similar for both nematic and smectic C materials, but with different physical parameters and some different physical interpretations. However, despite some of these similarities, smectic liquid crystals have some uniquely different mathematical problems, and these can only be touched upon within the remit of a book such as this. 

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