Novel stripe textures in nonchiral hexatic liquid-crystal films

A novel macroscopic stripe texture has been observed in freely suspended films of nonchiral liquid crystal, uniform stripes of alternating molecular orientation form spontaneously at the smectic-C--to--surface-hexatic phase transition and broaden with decreasing temperature. The stripes are identified as splay domains whose formation is attributed to the polar symmetry of the hexatic surface layers. Transverse (director bend) walls, which lead to an additional modulation of the basic one-dimensional pattern, are manifested inside thick circular islands as twelve-armed star defects.

Director orientation in chevron surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal cells. Verification of orientational binding at the chevron interface using visible polarized light transmission spectroscopy

Abstract We present results of theoretical modelling and experimental study of director distributions and the associated optical properties of chevron surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal (SSFLC) cells. Chevron cells are modelled as being two stacked FLC slabs, described by distinct orientation distributions of the director [ncirc]-polarization P([ncirc] – P) couple. In each slab the [ncirc] – P distribution is governed by bulk Frank elastic and electric field-induced torques and by surface torques at the FLC-solid interface and at the chevron interface, where the two distributions are coupled. The optical properties of such structures are calculated numerically and the results t…

Preparation and Thermal Behavior of Freely-Suspended and Transferred Films Composed of a Single Compound, the Liquid Crystal 707PP

We have recently introduced a new method for the preparation of ultrathin smectic films on solid supports by transferring freely-suspended liquid-crystalline films [1, 2]. Here we report on the preparation, structural properties and thermal behavior of freely-suspended and transferred films of 2-(4'-Heptyloxyphenyl)-5-heptylpyridine (707PP). Freely-suspended and transferred films were investigated using optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Both types of films exhibit reversible phase transitions comparable to bulk values.

New amphiphilic terphenyl liquid crystals for the preparation of highly ordered ultrathin films

Four new amphiphilic liquid crystals have been synthesized, in which terphenyl was used as the mesogenic unit. In order to enable the formation of Langmuir Monolayers at the air/water-interface, the molecules were equipped with slightly polar headgroups such as esters or a carboxylic acid group. All compounds can be transferred onto solid substrates. In addition, it is possible to prepare freely suspended films of at least one compound in the temperature range of the smectic phases. The phases of the different states, bulk, monolayer, freely suspended film, and Langmuir-Blodgett multilayers have been investigated by means of monolayer isotherms, optical textures, differential scanning calor…

Textures in hexatic films of nonchiral liquid crystals: Symmetry breaking and modulated phases

Novel modulated textures, such as stripes and multiarmed star defects, have been observed in freely suspended films of nonchiral liquid crystals just below the smectic-$C$ to hexatic phase transition. Detailed studies using depolarized reflection microscopy suggest that the stripes are locally chiral surface splay domains of the smectic-$L$ phase, a tilted hexatic not previously identified in thermotropic liquid crystals. Line defects which form additional domain walls in the hexatic lattice lead to characteristic modulations of the basic one-dimensional stripe pattern. Inside thick circular islands, for example, stripes form circumferentially and the lines form centered 12-armed stars, res…

Optical Symmetry of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Cells

We observe an exact optical symmetry in Surface Stabilized Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal (SSFLC) cells in polarized transmission optical microscopy and spectroscopy. A theoretical argument based on the intrinsic time reversibility of Maxwell's equations and energy conservation is developed to explain this symmetry. The results support the model of Clark and Rieker for zig-zag wall structure and illustrate the necessity of including the orientational binding of the director at the chevron interface.

Highly-ordered ultrathin lc multilayer films on solid substrates

Thermal fluctuation effects in ferroelectric liquid-crystal polarization reversal: Light scattering from a transient domain-wall foam

Thermal orientation fluctuations of the director field during electric-field-induced polarization reversal in ferroelectric liquid crystals lead to the nondeterministic formation of a transient domain-wall foam that strongly scatters light. This foam comprises domains of molecules that have reoriented locally in the same sense on the smectic-C tilt cone and are separated from one another by 2\ensuremath{\pi} inversion walls. The dynamics of formation and the subsequent annealing of the foam have been probed using laser light scattering. Anisotropic coarsening of the foam, which is accounted for by including electrostatic (space-charge) interactions in the theoretical description of the ferr…

Visible polarized light transmission spectroscopy of the electro-optic switching behaviour of surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal cells

Abstract We present in this paper an experimental and theoretical modelling study of the switching characteristics and electro-optic behaviour of chevron surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal cells with planar (low pre-tilt) and non-planar (high pre-tilt) surface conditions. The visible polarized light transmission spectra were taken of the cells with glass plates coated with films of either rubbed polymer or obliquely evaporated silicon monoxide (SiO) at various applied voltages and in various stages of switching and compared with the theoretical values calculated numerically based on our director-polarization structure model for the aforementioned cells. The results provide evid…