X-ray diffraction from smectic multilayers: crossover from kinematical to dynamical regime

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Samsonov, V. V., Nikolaev, K. V., Ostrovskii, B. I., Yakunin, S. N.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Samsonov, V. V.
Nikolaev, K. V.
Ostrovskii, B. I.
Yakunin, S. N.
author_facet Samsonov, V. V.
Nikolaev, K. V.
Ostrovskii, B. I.
Yakunin, S. N.
contents We study X-ray diffraction in smectic liquid crystal multilayers. Such systems are fabricated as freely suspended films and have a unique layered structure. As such, they can be described as organic Bragg mirrors with sub-nanometer roughness. However, an interesting peculiarity arises in the diffraction on these structures: the characteristic shape of diffraction peaks associated with dynamical scattering effects is not observed. Instead, the diffraction can be well described kinematically, which is atypical for Bragg mirrors. In this article we investigate the transition between the kinematical and dynamical regimes of diffraction. For this purpose, we analyze the reflection of synchrotron radiation on a real liquid crystal sample with both kinematical and dynamical theories. Furthermore, based on these theories, we derive a quantitative criterion for the transition from the kinematical to the dynamical regime. This, in turn, allows us to explain the peculiar diffraction behavior in smectic films with thicknesses exceeding thousands of molecular layers.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_23547
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle X-ray diffraction from smectic multilayers: crossover from kinematical to dynamical regime
Samsonov, V. V.
Nikolaev, K. V.
Ostrovskii, B. I.
Yakunin, S. N.
Soft Condensed Matter
We study X-ray diffraction in smectic liquid crystal multilayers. Such systems are fabricated as freely suspended films and have a unique layered structure. As such, they can be described as organic Bragg mirrors with sub-nanometer roughness. However, an interesting peculiarity arises in the diffraction on these structures: the characteristic shape of diffraction peaks associated with dynamical scattering effects is not observed. Instead, the diffraction can be well described kinematically, which is atypical for Bragg mirrors. In this article we investigate the transition between the kinematical and dynamical regimes of diffraction. For this purpose, we analyze the reflection of synchrotron radiation on a real liquid crystal sample with both kinematical and dynamical theories. Furthermore, based on these theories, we derive a quantitative criterion for the transition from the kinematical to the dynamical regime. This, in turn, allows us to explain the peculiar diffraction behavior in smectic films with thicknesses exceeding thousands of molecular layers.
title X-ray diffraction from smectic multilayers: crossover from kinematical to dynamical regime
topic Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.23547