Electro-optic response of the anticlinic, antiferroelectric liquid-crystal phase of a biaxial bent-core molecule with tilt angle near 45∘

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2012 Mar;85(3 Pt 1):031704. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.85.031704. Epub 2012 Mar 16.

Abstract

We describe the unusual electro-optic response of a biaxial bent-core liquid crystal molecule that exhibits an anticlinic, antiferroelectric smectic phase (Sm-C(A)P(A)) with a molecular tilt angle close to 45°. In the ground state, the sample shows very low birefringence. A weak applied electric field distorts the antiferroelectric ground state, inducing a small azimuthal reorientation of the molecules on the tilt cone. This results in only a modest increase in the birefringence but an anomalously large (∼40°) analog rotation of the extinction direction. This unusual electro-optic response is shown to be a consequence of the molecular biaxiality.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anisotropy
  • Birefringence
  • Computer Simulation
  • Electric Impedance
  • Liquid Crystals / chemistry*
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Models, Molecular*