hexatic-B phase

physics

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June 29, 2026

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The hexatic-B phase is a type of liquid crystal phase that exhibits characteristics between a solid and a liquid. In this phase, the rotational symmetry found in liquid crystals is broken, but the layers within the structure maintain continuous translational symmetry. This phase is part of a spectrum of liquid crystal structures, with the degree of order increasing as temperature decreases. The hexatic-B phase is more ordered than the smectic-A phase but less ordered than crystalline phases.1

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liquid crystal
Symmetries of liquid crystals
… layers, is broken in the hexatic-B phase, but a proliferation of dislocations maintains continuous translational symmetry within its layers. A similar relationship holds between smectic-C and smectic-F. Crystal-B and crystal-G have molecular positions on regular crystal lattice sites, with long axes of molecules (directors) aligned, but allow rotation of molecules…
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… layers, is broken in the hexatic-B phase, but a proliferation of dislocations maintains continuous translational symmetry within its layers. A similar relationship holds between smectic-C and smectic-F. Crystal-B and crystal-G have molecular positions on regular crystal lattice sites, with long axes of molecules (directors) aligned, but allow rotation of molecules…
Read More