Abstract
We report on light-scattering experiments in the smectic-C phase of a two-dimensional, freely suspended liquid-crystal film at wave vectors intermediate between pure bend and splay director fluctuations. The dynamic signal reveals the presence of two diffusive modes, one of which is the usual hydrodynamic mode for in-plane director fluctuations and one of which has not been previously reported. The wave-vector dependence of the scattered intensity for the new mode is well described by the selection rules for out-of-plane fluctuations (undulations) of the film. However, the overdamped dynamics reveal a nonhydrodynamic and extremely slow decay, in contrast to the usual picture for smectic layer undulations. Near the smectic-C to smectic-I (hexatic) transition, the elastic moduli and decay constants associated with the two modes show a remarkably similar temperature dependence.
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