Electric-field-induced unwinding of ferroelectric helix in thin smectic C* layers with soft and rigid anchoring of molecules
- Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Solid State Physics (Russian Federation)
- Laue-Langevin Institute (France)
The unwinding of a helical structure in thin films of a ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal (LC) by an external electric field has been theoretically studied using a discrete model in which every LC layer is characterized by a two-dimensional vector {xi}{sub i} (describing the orientation of molecules) and by the polarization P{sub i}. It is established that the unwinding of the LC helix in thin films significantly differs from the well-known behavior of thick samples. In particular, discrete intermediate states (differing by an integer or half-integer number of turns) are formed in thin films for both weak and strong anchoring of molecules to a substrate surface. The physical factor responsible for this behavior is the presence of near-surface regions with thicknesses below the helix pitch and the corresponding uncompensated polarization.
- OSTI ID:
- 21241929
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Vol. 107, Issue 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1134/S1063776108090203; Copyright (c) 2008 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7761
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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