The influence of a random-anisotropy- (RA-) type disorder on the phase separation of the nematogen–non-nematogen mixture is studied. A combination of the phenomenological Landau–de Gennes and Flory-Huggins theories is used. We assume that the non-nematogen component (i.e., impurity) enforces the RA disorder to the enclosing thermotropic liquid-crystal (LC) phase. The Imry-Ma argument is used according to which the lower-temperature phase exhibits a domain-type pattern. The disorder strength is measured in terms of the dimensionless parameter $\Lambda$. We consider the case in which the LC molecules and impurities mix in the isotropic phase for $\Lambda =0$. The impurities enforce a finite degree of orientational ordering even in the high-temperature paranematic phase. In the low-temperature phase they give rise to a domain-type structure, resulting in the distorted nematic (speronematic) phase. We show that the onset of orientational ordering increases the phase separation tendency. The RA field, however, opposes this tendency. With increasing value of $\Lambda$ the difference between the paranematic and speronematic ordering decreases. Consequently the structure of the phase-separated pattern can be much more complex in comparison to the $\Lambda =0$ case.

• Received 7 December 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.73.041705