Iida A, Takanishi Y, Fukuda A, Vij JK. Transitional subphases near the electric-field-induced phase transition to the ferroelectric phase in Se-containing chiral smectic liquid crystals observed by resonant x-ray scattering.
Phys Rev E 2016;
94:052703. [PMID:
27967085 DOI:
10.1103/physreve.94.052703]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Resonant x-ray scattering experiments revealed transitional subphases near the electric-field-induced phase transition of a Se-containing chiral liquid crystal in a planar aligned cell geometry. In the lower-temperature range (Sm-C_{A}^{*} and three-layer periodicity Sm-C_{γ}^{*} phases), the six-layer periodicity subphase appeared with increasing electric field during the field-induced transition from Sm-C_{γ}^{*} to Sm-C^{*}. In the higher-temperature range [four-layer periodicity antiferroelectric (AF) phase], the peak positions of the three-layer satellites shifted to those of the four-layer satellites and then the satellites corresponding to the five- through seven-layer periodicity appeared in sequence. Near the AF to Sm-C_{α}^{*} phase transition temperature, the layer periodicity increased with applied field. The molecular configurations of the subphases near the field-induced transition are discussed based on the Ising, distorted clock, and perfect clock models.
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