Birefringence measurement of liquid single crystal elastomer swollen with low molecular weight liquid crystal

We experimentally measured the birefringence of a liquid single crystal elastomer (LSCE) swollen with a low molecular weight liquid crystal (LMWLC), 5CB, by polarizing microscopy as a function of temperature. The optical intensity of swollen LSCE shows significant intensity changes at temperatures TNI, TA and TB that indicates a variety of different transitions. A temperature TNI is known as the apparent nematic-isotropic transition for outside LMWLC, TA and TB are interpreted as the nematic-isotropic transition for LMWLC inside the LSCE and for the swollen LSCE, respectively.