title: Flexoelectricity in chiral nematic liquid crystals as a driving mechanism for the twist-bend and splay-bend modulated phases.
abstract: We present a continuum theoretical model describing the impact of chirality on nematic systems with large flexoelectricity. As opposed to achiral materials, where only one type of the modulated structure can exist in a given material, the model predicts that chirality can stabilize several modulated phases, which have already been observed experimentally [A. Zep et al., J. Mater. Chem. C 1, 46 (2013)].
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Koroška 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia and Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Nataša
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vaupotič
authors.affiliation: Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia and Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Kardeljeva ploščad 16, 1000 Ljubljana.
authors.forename: Mojca
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Čepič
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, 26 Richmond St., G1 Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mikhail A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Osipov
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gorecka