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We report the first observation of a cholesteric phase which appears as an island surrounded by smectic-A phases in a temperature-concentration phase diagram. The island of cholesteric form results from large fluctuations of two, collinear, incommensurate density waves whose coexistence violates smectic-A ordering. It provides novel evidence that smectic-A fluidity cannot support two incommensurate lengths.
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Cladis et al. (1984) studied this question.
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