Kinetics of the phase transition in an isotropic liquid crystalline dimer subjected to a deep temperature quench

Kinetics of the ordered phase growth in a liquid crystalline azomethine dimer under a deep temperature quench was studied using a polarizing optical microscope at different cooling rates. The nematic droplets revealed in the optical images across the phase transition were treated statistically and the resulting statistical size distributions were described using principles of irreversible thermodynamics. After analysis of the mean droplet diameter evolving with time, two regimes of the nematic phase growth were recognized: (i) nucleation and rapid nucleus growth and (ii) nucleus coarsening. Both regimes were quantitatively described with the universal scaling function.