Flexoelectricity in an oxadiazole bent-core nematic liquid crystal
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua I-35131 (Italy)
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, York YO10 5DD (United Kingdom)
We have determined experimentally the magnitude of the difference in the splay and bend flexoelectric coefficients, |e{sub 1} − e{sub 3}|, of an oxadiazole bent-core liquid crystal by measuring the critical voltage for the formation of flexodomains together with their wave number. The coefficient |e{sub 1} − e{sub 3}| is found to be a factor of 2–3 times higher than in most conventional calamitic nematic liquid crystals, varying from 8 pCm{sup −1} to 20 pCm{sup −1} across the ∼60 K—wide nematic regime. We have also calculated the individual flexoelectric coefficients e{sub 1} and e{sub 3}, with the dipolar and quadrupolar contributions of the bent-core liquid crystal by combining density functional theory calculations with a molecular field approach and atomistic modelling. Interestingly, the magnitude of the bend flexoelectric coefficient is found to be rather small, in contrast to common expectations for bent-core molecules. The calculations are in excellent agreement with the experimental values, offering an insight into how molecular parameters contribute to the flexoelectric coefficients and illustrating a huge potential for the prediction of flexoelectric behaviour in bent-core liquid crystals.
- OSTI ID:
- 22402435
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 22; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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