Electric Field Effects Near Critical Points

TL;DR

This paper develops a Ginzburg-Landau theoretical framework to analyze electric field effects on order parameters in near-critical fluids and liquid crystals, predicting phase transition behaviors and deformation phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive Ginzburg-Landau model for electrostatic interactions affecting order parameters near critical points, with new predictions for phase transitions and deformation effects.

Findings

Predicted liquid-liquid phase transition modifications in polar binary mixtures with ions

Described deformation of liquid crystal order around charged particles

Provided theoretical insights into electric field effects near criticality

Abstract

We present a general Ginzburg-Landau theory of electrostatic interactions and electric field effects for the order parameter, the polarization, and the charge density. Electric field effects are then investigated in near-critical fluids and liquid crystals. Some new predictions are given on the liquid-liquid phase transition in polar binary mixtures with a small fraction of ions and the deformation of the liquid crystal order around a charged particle.