Optical studies on free-standing films of an achiral smectic liquid crystal.
Employing null transmission ellipsometry and depolarized reflected light microscopy, we have studied two smectic phases, Sm-C1 and Sm-C2, of one achiral mesogen. Our results show that Sm-C1 and Sm-C2 are the synclinic Sm-C and anticlinic Sm-C(A) phases, respectively. We find no evidence to support recent claims that the Sm-C1 is chiral and ferroelectric [R. Stannarius et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 025502 (2003)].
Han
X F
XF
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
Wang
S T
ST
Cady
A
A
Liu
Z Q
ZQ
Findeisen
S
S
Weissflog
W
W
Huang
C C
CC