Temperature and scattering contrast dependencies of thickness fluctuations in surfactant membranes

Temperature and scattering contrast dependencies of thickness fluctuations have been investigated using neutron spin echo spectroscopy in a swollen lamellar phase composed of nonionic surfactant, water, and oil. In the present study, two contrast conditions are examined; one is the bulk contrast, which probes two surfactant monolayers with an oil layer as a membrane, and the other is the film contrast, which emphasizes an individual surfactant monolayer. The thickness fluctuations enhance dynamics from the bending fluctuations, and are observed in a similar manner in both contrast conditions. Thickness fluctuations can be investigated regardless of the scattering contrast, though film contrasts are better to be employed in terms of the data quality. The thickness fluctuation amplitude is constant over the measured temperature range, including in the vicinity of the phase boundary between the lamellar and micellar phases at low temperature and the boundary between the lamellar and bicontinuous phases at high temperature. The damping frequency of the thickness fluctuations is well scaled using viscosity within the membranes at low temperature, which indicates the thickness fluctuations are predominantly controlled by the viscosity within the membrane. On the other hand, in the vicinity of the phase boundary at high temperature, thickness fluctuations become faster without changing the mode amplitude.