We report our studies on the mixed Langmuir monolayer of mesogenic molecules, p-(ethoxy)-p-phenylazo phenyl hexanoate (EPPH) and octyl cyano biphenyl (8CB), employing the techniques of surface manometry and Brewster angle microscopy. Our studies show that the mixed monolayer exhibits higher collapse pressures for certain mole fractions of EPPH in 8CB as compared to individual monolayers. Also, a considerable reduction in the area per molecule is seen in the mixed monolayer, indicating a condensed phase. We have also studied the photostability of the mixed monolayer at different initial surface pressures. The mixed monolayer, under alternate cycles of UV and visible illumination, exhibits changes in surface pressures. This is due to the photoinduced transformation of EPPH isomers in the mixed monolayer. Our in-situ Brewster angle microscope studies for 0.5 mole fraction of EPPH in 8CB show a phase separation in the UV and a miscible phase in the visible, at low surface pressures ( approximately 5 mN/m). At higher surface pressures ( approximately 10 mN/m), under UV illumination, we find a phase separation which does not revert to a miscible phase under visible illumination.

Abstract. The ceramic YBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 superconductor composed of submicron grains is considered a random Josephson-coupled network containing the so-called π junctions and shows successive phase transitions. With decreasing temperature, first the intragrain superconductive transition occurs inside each grain at T c1 and then the chiral-glass transition occurs among the grains at T c2 (< T c1 ). The third transition at T c3 (< T c2 ) is the intergrain superconducting transition. We measured the nonlinear susceptibility and resistivity of the ceramic YBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 superconductor to determine the field dependences of the transition temperatures T c2 and T c3 . The phase diagram of the intergrain ordering is discussed in light of the result predicted by Kawamura.