Periodic pattern formation in an achiral bent core nematic
We investigated a periodic flexoelectric domain pattern, which appeared as regular parallel stripes in an achiral bent core nematic liquid crystal when dc electric field was applied. We found that such a pattern was first formed at the substrate surface and took place in sandwich cells with a gap la...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AIP Publishing LLC
2018-09-01
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| Series: | AIP Advances |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.5040566 |
| _version_ | 1818109967177089024 |
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| author | Omaima Elamain Gurumurthy Hegde Lachezar Komitov |
| author_facet | Omaima Elamain Gurumurthy Hegde Lachezar Komitov |
| author_sort | Omaima Elamain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We investigated a periodic flexoelectric domain pattern, which appeared as regular parallel stripes in an achiral bent core nematic liquid crystal when dc electric field was applied. We found that such a pattern was first formed at the substrate surface and took place in sandwich cells with a gap larger than 2μm. The field-induced periodic pattern was preserved in the field-off state by a polymer network formed in the cell and was found to exhibit a polar as well as a linear electro-optic response due to in-plane switching of the sample optic axis. A comparison between this response and the one obtained in short cholesteric liquid crystals, aligned in ULH (uniform lying helix) texture, and short pitch ferroelectric liquid crystals, respectively, suggested that a heliconical molecular order is most probably formed in the field-induced periodic stripe pattern, with the helix axis orthogonal to the stripes. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence of field-induced chiral-symmetry breaking in the flexoelectric periodic stripe pattern in achiral bent core nematic, resulting in heliconical molecular order, resembling the one of twist-bend (TB) nematic phase in this kind of nematics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T02:39:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dc89cb370f054fc5acbad379a695bb0a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2158-3226 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T02:39:40Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | AIP Publishing LLC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | AIP Advances |
| spelling | doaj.art-dc89cb370f054fc5acbad379a695bb0a2022-12-22T01:23:37ZengAIP Publishing LLCAIP Advances2158-32262018-09-0189095227095227-1110.1063/1.5040566050809ADVPeriodic pattern formation in an achiral bent core nematicOmaima Elamain0Gurumurthy Hegde1Lachezar Komitov2Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, SwedenCentre for Nano-Materials and Displays, BMS College of Engineering, Bull Temple Road, Basavanagudi, 560019 Bangalore, IndiaDepartment of Physics, University of Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, SwedenWe investigated a periodic flexoelectric domain pattern, which appeared as regular parallel stripes in an achiral bent core nematic liquid crystal when dc electric field was applied. We found that such a pattern was first formed at the substrate surface and took place in sandwich cells with a gap larger than 2μm. The field-induced periodic pattern was preserved in the field-off state by a polymer network formed in the cell and was found to exhibit a polar as well as a linear electro-optic response due to in-plane switching of the sample optic axis. A comparison between this response and the one obtained in short cholesteric liquid crystals, aligned in ULH (uniform lying helix) texture, and short pitch ferroelectric liquid crystals, respectively, suggested that a heliconical molecular order is most probably formed in the field-induced periodic stripe pattern, with the helix axis orthogonal to the stripes. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence of field-induced chiral-symmetry breaking in the flexoelectric periodic stripe pattern in achiral bent core nematic, resulting in heliconical molecular order, resembling the one of twist-bend (TB) nematic phase in this kind of nematics.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.5040566 |
| spellingShingle | Omaima Elamain Gurumurthy Hegde Lachezar Komitov Periodic pattern formation in an achiral bent core nematic AIP Advances |
| title | Periodic pattern formation in an achiral bent core nematic |
| title_full | Periodic pattern formation in an achiral bent core nematic |
| title_fullStr | Periodic pattern formation in an achiral bent core nematic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Periodic pattern formation in an achiral bent core nematic |
| title_short | Periodic pattern formation in an achiral bent core nematic |
| title_sort | periodic pattern formation in an achiral bent core nematic |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.5040566 |
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