On the Origin of the “Giant” Electroclinic Effect in a “De Vries”‐Type Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Material for Chirality Sensing Applications

• Published in: Chemphyschem 2009-04, Vol.10 (6), p.890-892
• Main Authors: Kapernaum, Nadia, Walba, David M., Korblova, Eva, Zhu, Chenhui, Jones, Chris, Shen, Yongqian, Clark, Noel A., Giesselmann, Frank
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: CHIRALITY; chirality sensing; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; electroclinic effect; Equations of state, phase equilibria, and phase transitions; Exact sciences and technology; LIQUID CRYSTALS; Liquids and liquid crystals; national synchrotron light source; ORIGIN; phase transitions; Physics; PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; POLARIZATION; SCATTERING; Specific phase transitions; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; Transitions in liquid crystals
• ISSN: 1439-4235; 1439-7641
• DOI: 10.1002/cphc.200900065

W415 is a chiral smectic compound with a remarkably weak temperature dependence of its giant electroclinic effect in the liquid crystalline smectic A* phase. Furthermore it possesses a high spontaneous polarization in the smectic C* phase. The origin of this striking electroclinic effect is the co‐occurrence of a de Vries‐type ordering with a weak first‐order tilting transition (see the synchroton X‐ray scattering profiles). W415 is a chiral smectic compound with a remarkably weak temperature dependence of its giant electroclinic effect in the liquid crystalline smectic A* phase. Furthermore it possesses a high spontaneous polarization in the smectic C* phase. The origin of this striking electroclinic effect is the co‐occurrence of a de Vries‐type ordering with a weak first‐order tilting transition (see the synchroton X‐ray scattering profiles).