High accuracy Monte Carlo study of dispersion model of biaxial liquid crystals

Abstract

We present a high accuracy Monte Carlo simulation study of the Isotropic -Nematic phase transition of a lattice dispersion model of biaxial liquid crystals. The NI coexistence curve terminating at the Landau critical point have been determined using multiple histogram reweighting technique. A close investigation reveals a sharp departure in the nature of the N -I coexistence curve in temperature-biaxiality parameter phase diagram in comparison to the earlier theoretical (either mean-field or computer simulation) predictions. The coexitence curve shows a change in curvature with increasing value of the degree molecular biaxiality.