Smectic-Nematic Phase Transition as Wrinkling Transition in a Stack of Membranes

TL;DR

This paper proposes that the smectic-nematic phase transition can be understood as a wrinkling transition in a stack of membranes, where layers become indistinguishable due to interpenetration.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perspective by modeling the phase transition as a wrinkling transition in membrane stacks within a $2+ ext{epsilon}$ dimensional framework.

Findings

Layers become indistinguishable at the transition

Wrinkling leads to layer interpenetration

Provides a new theoretical approach to phase transition

Abstract

We point out that the smectic-nematic phase transition may considered as a transition of a stack of membranes in $2+\epsilon$ dimensions, in which the layers become so wrinkled that they interpenetrate each other are no longer distinguishable.