Ferroelectric phases in a chiral bent-core smectic liquid crystal: dielectric and optical second-harmonic generation measurements

Phys Rev E Stat Phys Plasmas Fluids Relat Interdiscip Topics. 2000 Oct;62(4 Pt A):R4524-7. doi: 10.1103/physreve.62.r4524.

Abstract

We report unambiguous evidence for ferroelectricity in a chiral bent-core liquid crystal. This evidence includes (i) a single current peak in the polarization reversal current, (ii) a strong dielectric response that is suppressed by applying a bias electric field, and (iii) strong optical second-harmonic generation in the absence of electric field even at normal incidence. We propose a phase structure that is anticlinic in tilt and ferroelectric in polar order, i.e., smectic-C(A)P(*)(F).