title: Twist-bend nematic liquid crystals in high magnetic fields.
abstract: We present magneto-optic measurements on two materials that form the recently discovered twist-bend nematic (N_{tb}) phase. This intriguing state of matter represents a fluid phase that is orientationally anisotropic in three directions and also exhibits translational order with periodicity several times larger than the molecular size. N_{tb} materials may also spontaneously form a visible, macroscopic stripe texture. We show that the optical stripe texture can be persistently inhibited by a magnetic field, and a 25T external magnetic field depresses the N-N_{tb} phase transition temperature by almost 1{∘}C. We propose a quantitative mechanism to account for this shift and suggest a Helfrich-Hurault-type mechanism for the optical stripe formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Challa
authors.affiliation: Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borshch
authors.affiliation: Merck Chemicals Ltd., Chilworth Technical Centre, University Parkway, Southampton SO16 7QD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Parri
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, School of Natural and Computing Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Imrie
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Sprunt
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Gleeson
authors.affiliation: Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: O D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Lavrentovich
authors.affiliation: Liquid Crystal Institute and Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jákli
mesh_terms: D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015394:Molecular Structure; D044366:Transition Temperature