Kardar-Parisi-Zhang model and anomalous elasticity of two- and three-dimensional smectic-Aliquid crystals

Abstract

We reveal a deep theoretical relationship between equilibrium statistical physics of smectic-A liquid crystals and nonequilibrium statistical physics of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang dynamical model [M. Kardar, G. Parisi, and Y.-C. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 889 (1986)] for interfaces growing in the presence of a flux of incoming particles. This relationship provides an exact approach to study Landau-Peierls phenomena and anomalous elasticity of two-dimensional smectic-A liquid crystals. Also, it yields prediction of an unusual elastic critical point in three-dimensional smectic-A liquid crystals with broken inversion symmetry (head-to-tail packing of layers). We discuss the elasticity and fluctuations of these unusual smectic-A phases.