| Reference : Demonstration of the antiferroelectric aspect of the helical superstructures in SmC*,... |
| Scientific journals : Article | |||
| Physical, chemical, mathematical & earth Sciences : Physics | |||
| http://hdl.handle.net/10993/20522 | |||
| Demonstration of the antiferroelectric aspect of the helical superstructures in SmC*, SmC$_α$* and SmC$_a$* liquid crystals | |
| English | |
Lagerwall, Jan  [Universität Stuttgart] | |
| 2005 | |
| Physical Review. E ,Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics | |
| American Physical Society | |
| 71 | |
| 5 | |
| 051703 | |
| Yes (verified by ORBilu) | |
| International | |
| 1539-3755 | |
| 1550-2376 | |
| College Park | |
| MD | |
| [en] Chiral smectic liquid crystals ; Helielectricity ; antiferroelecricity | |
| [en] We show that the helical superstructure in chiral smectic-C-type liquid crystal phases can, if the pitch is short enough, give rise to the tristate switching characteristic of antiferroelectrics even if the local commen- surate order is synpolar as in the ordinary Sm-C* phase. Since the field-induced helix unwinding exhibits a distinct threshold, in contrast to mere helix distortion, two unwinding / rewinding peaks per half cycle of an applied triangular wave voltage can be seen in the current response. By considering this antiferroelectric aspect
* of the helical modulation we give a simple explanation of why the ultrashort-pitch Sm-C phase exhibits antiferroelectric switching although its dielectric spectroscopy response is qualitatively identical to that of the synpolar Sm-C* phase. Using data from the compound MHPOCBC we show that the Sm-C* dielectric re- sponse is well described by continuum theory. We also demonstrate that, if the pitch is very short as in MHPOCBC, helix unwinding / rewinding leave characteristic traces in the electrooptic response even in the commensurately antiferroelectric antipolar Sm-C*a phase, distinguishable from the switching beween the antipolar and synpolar states of this phase. | |
| Researchers | |
| http://hdl.handle.net/10993/20522 | |
| 10.1103/PhysRevE.71.051703 |
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