Topological Ferroelectric Bistability in a Polarization-Modulated Orthogonal Smectic Liquid Crystal
Journal article, 2012
We report a bent-core liquid crystal (LC) compound exhibiting two fluid smectic phases in which two-dimensional, polar, orthorhombic layers order into three-dimensional ferroelectric states. The lower-temperature phase has a uniform polarization field which responds in an analog fashion to applied electric field. The higher-temperature phase is a new smectic state with periodic undulation of the polarization, structurally modulated layers, and a bistable response to applied electric field which originates in the periodically splay-modulated bulk of the LC rather than by surface stabilization at the cell boundaries.
transition
achiral molecules
order
phase
Author
C. H. Zhu
University of Colorado
R. F. Shao
University of Colorado
R. A. Reddy
University of Colorado
D. Chen
University of Colorado
Y. Q. Shen
University of Colorado
T. Gong
University of Colorado
M. A. Glaser
University of Colorado
E. Korblova
University of Colorado
Per Rudquist
Chalmers, Applied Physics, Electronics Material and Systems
J. E. Maclennan
University of Colorado
D. M. Walba
University of Colorado
N. A. Clark
University of Colorado
Journal of the American Chemical Society
0002-7863 (ISSN) 1520-5126 (eISSN)
Vol. 134 23 9681-9687Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Chemical Sciences
DOI
10.1021/ja3009314