Critical behaviour of nematic liquid crystals in oblique magnetic fields

The static critical behaviour of a bulk nematic liquid crystal sample in an oblique magnetic field is analysed. When a magnetic field is applied at a suitable angle alpha with respect to the initially homogeneous nematic director, a spatially inhomogeneous director pattern can be formed. The transition to the deformed state and the formation of walls between the domains resulting from the two equally stable configurations above the transition are studied. The width of the walls is found to diverge at the transition. The critical exponents corresponding to the transition and wall formation are shown to be characteristic of a mean field second order phase transition.