title: Unusual dielectric and electrical switching behavior in the de Vries smectic A phase of two organosiloxane derivatives.
abstract: X-ray, electrical, electro-optical, and dielectric studies in the de Vries smectic A (SmA) phase of organosiloxane derivatives exhibit features surprisingly different from that of a conventional SmA phase. The switching data show a double peak profile, characteristic of an antiferroelectric (AF) structure. A model with the adjacent smectic layers having an AF-like arrangement and no global tilt correlation is proposed. Observed in molecules with differential interactions between the two termini, these findings have wide ramifications in understanding the minimum layer shrinkage of such systems.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Liquid Crystal Research, Jalahalli, Bangalore 560 013, India. skpras@gmail.com
authors.forename: S Krishna
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: D S Shankar
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sridevi
authors.forename: Chethan V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Lobo
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Ratna
authors.forename: Jawad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Naciri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shashidhar
mesh_terms: D017097:Electric Impedance; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D044367:Phase Transition; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012833:Siloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D012833:Siloxanes