What Is Common Between Smectic Elastomers and Metals Subjected to Cold-Work?

Abstract
An analysis of the X-ray diffraction spectra in smectic elastomers has indicated that the width of the diffraction peaks corresponding to the successive reflections from the smectic layers increases linearly with the harmonic number. Such behavior is quite unusual for the lamellar phases and has been observed earlier neither in the smectic liquid crystals nor in other layered phases, for example, in block-copolymers. At the same time this phenomenon is well known in metals, subjected to cold work. The broadening of the successive X-ray peaks is explained by the fact that the metal subjected to cold-work is under the non-uniform strain and possesses a stressed state. Nearly the same occurs in oriented samples of smectic elastomers, where the uniaxial stretching is involved in the process of their formation. In this paper we have analyzed the peculiarities of the X-ray diffraction in smectic elastomers and the origin of the stressed states in them. Key words:

Keywords: smectic elastomers, X-ray diffraction, metals, non-uniform strain