Title:	Randomly polarised smectic A phase exhibited by bent-core molecules: experimental and theoretical studies
Authors:	Gupta, Meenal Datta, Soma Radhika, S. Sadashiva, B.K. Roy, Arun
Keywords:	Liquid-Crystals Achiral Molecules Homologous Series Transition Fluid Model
Issue Date:	Apr-2011
Publisher:	Royal Society of Chemistry
Citation:	Soft Matter, 2011, Vol.7, p4735
Abstract:	We report experimental studies on a newly synthesised bent-core liquid crystal exhibiting partial bilayer SmAdPR and SmAdPA phases. Though the SmAdPR phase appears to be optically uniaxial as that of the SmA phase, the observed distinctive properties of the SmAdPR phase are (a) a current peak associated with a polarisation reorientation process under the application of a triangular wave voltage, (b) large variation of the effective birefringence of the planarly oriented sample with the applied in-plane electric field and (c) the presence of a strong dielectric mode. We have developed a simple theoretical model to describe the observed properties of the SmAPR phase and the transition from the SmAPR to the SmAPA phase. We propose that the above characteristic properties of the SmAPR phase arise due to the strong coupling between the transverse polarisation and the transverse polar order of the bend directions of the bent-core molecules in the layers.
Description:	Restricted Access.
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/2289/4087
ISSN:	1744-683X 1744-6848 (Online)
Alternative Location:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c1sm05185g
Copyright:	2011 Royal Society of Chemistry
Appears in Collections:	Research Papers (SCM)

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