Angle resolved fluorescence depolarization experiments on smectic mesophases

Abstract

Second and fourth rank order parameters (<P 2> and <P 4>) have been determined for some smectics from measurements of the angle-resolved fluorescence depolarization profile of a probe embedded in the systems. It is shown that the degree of order can be separated from the preferential molecular orientation when both <P 2> and <P 4> are known. The degree of order could be described by an extended mean field potential.