Unexpected field-induced phase transitions between ferrielectric and antiferroelectric liquid crystal structures.
Liquid crystals are intriguing electrically responsive soft matter systems. We report previously unexplored field-induced changes in the structures of some frustrated liquid crystal phases and describe them theoretically. Specifically, we have discovered using resonant x-ray scattering that the four-layer intermediate smectic phase can undergo either a transition to the ferrielectric (three-layer) phase or to the ferroelectric phase, depending on temperature. Our studies of intermediate phases using electric fields offer a way to test theories that describe ferroelectricity in self-assembling fluids.
Jaradat
S
S
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Brimicombe
P D
PD
Southern
C
C
Siemianowski
S D
SD
DiMasi
E
E
Osipov
M
M
Pindak
R
R
Gleeson
H F
HF