title: Optically isotropic liquid-crystal phase of bent-core molecules with polar nanostructure.
abstract: We found that the optically isotropic (I(M)) mesophase observed recently below the nematic phase of the bent-core liquid crystal 4-chlororesorcinol bis[4-(4-n-dodecyloxybenzoyloxy)benzoate] shows ferroelectric-type switching. Polarizing microscopic, electric current, dielectric, and dynamic light scattering studies lead us to propose that the I(M) phase is composed of interconnected orthoconic racemic smectic (Sm-Ca P(F)) nanodomains with random layer orientations. Near the nematic phase, where the polarization can be saturated by electric fields, the system responds in a fashion analogous to the granular structure of a magnetic spin glass--in particular, we observed that the relaxation back to the nonpoled structure follows a similar, inverse logarithmic rule.
authors.affiliation: Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stojadinovic
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pelzl
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weissflog
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sprunt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jákli