engleski

Temperature ranges of the chiral polar smectic phases

The paper presents the analysis of static and dynamic properties of achiral polar smectic doped with chiral dopant. In this system the two phases with equal symmetries exist, the SmAPA* and the SmCAPA∗ phase, which continuously transform one to the other upon temperature changes. The analysis of dynamical properties allowed for the development of the criterion which determines the temperature ranges of the two phases. Besides, the analysis of collective modes revealed that they are either amplitude or phase. However, in many of them the character changes from polar to tilt or vice versa. The collective modes occur in pairs of opposite chiralities. The chiral character of modes explains also the gaps which occur between the amplitude modes.

Transitions in liquid crystals ; Ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity

Editor's Choice