Rich Variety of Smectic Phases in an Achiral Bent-Core Liquid Crystal

ORAL

Abstract

The mesomorphic properties of an achiral bent-core liquid crystal (PAL30) have been recharacterized using polarizing optical microscopy, electro-optic response measurements and freely-suspended films. We find the phase sequence on cooling to be: I - SmA - SmCAPA' - SmCAPA --SmAPA -- Crystal , and see no evidence of the orthogonal SmAPR and SmAP$\alpha $ phases reported previously [Y.P. Panarin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107,247801,2011]. The tilted SmCAPA' and SmCAPA phases show novel `tiger' pattern and stripe textures in the presence of applied electric field.

*This work was supported by NSF MRSEC Grant DMR-0820579.

–

Authors

  • Renfan Shao

    • Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Cheol Park

    • Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder
    • University of Colorado

  • Joseph MacLennan

    • Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado
    • Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder
    • Department of Physics, and the Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado at Boulder
    • Univ of Colorado - Boulder
    • University of Colorado
    • University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Carlson Tschierske

    • Institute of Chemistry, Martin-Luther-University, Halle, Germany

  • Noel Clark

    • Department of Physics and Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder