The pitch-independent critical field in cholesteric liquid crystalline poly-γ-ethyl-L-glutamate

The critical magnetic field for the cholesteric-nematic phase transition of the lyotropic liquid crystal poly- gamma -ethyl-L-glutamate in ethyl acetate has been determined by the use of light diffraction patterns. In spite of the variation of the zero-field helix pitch with concentration, the critical field is nearly constant at about 29 kOe.