Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of spontaneous polarization on two-dimensional elasticity of smectic liquid crystals

  • Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
  • Published:
Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The influence of polarity on orientational elasticity and on structures formed in the director field is studied in free-standing smectic films. Periodic stripe patterns and 2π-walls in a magnetic field are investigated. Measurements are performed on a nonpolar racemic mixture, on an optically pure ferroelectric compound, and in mixtures with different concentrations of the chiral isomers of opposite signs. The structure of periodic stripes changes drastically with the polarity of the film. The ratio of the bend K B and splay K S elastic constants for smectic films is determined as a function of polarization from the structure of periodic stripe patterns and 2π-walls. We find that the elastic anisotropy K B /K S increases essentially with increasing the polarity of the film. Changes of the elasticity and the structure of periodic stripes are explained by polarization charge effects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. P. G. de Gennes and J. Prost, The Physics of Liquid Crystals, 2nd ed. (Clarendon, Oxford, 1993)

  2. C. Y. Young, R. Pindak, N. A. Clark, and R. B. Meyer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 773 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. C. Rosenblatt, R. Pindak, N. A. Clark, and R. B. Meyer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 42, 1220 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. D. H. Van Winkle and N. A. Clark, Phys. Rev. A: At., Mol., Opt. Phys. 38, 1573 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. S. M. Amador and P. S. Pershan, Phys. Rev. A: At., Mol., Opt. Phys. 41, 4326 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. M.-H. Lu, K. A. Crandall, and C. Rosenblatt, Phys. Rev. Lett. 68, 3575 (1992).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Y. Galerne, I. Poinsot, and D. Schaegis, Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 222 (1997).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. J. B. Lee, R. A. Pelcovits, and R. B. Meyer, Phys. Rev. E: Stat., Nonlinear, Soft Matter Phys. 75, 051701 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. R. Pindak, C. Y. Young, R. B. Meyer, and N. A. Clark, Phys. Rev. Lett. 45, 1193 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. D. R. Link, L. Radzihovsky, G. Natale, J. E. Maclennan, N. A. Clark, M. Walsh, S. S. Keast, and M. E. Neubert, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 5772 (2000).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Y. Galerne and R. Najjar, Phys. Rev. E: Stat., Nonlinear, Soft Matter Phys. 69, 031706 (2004).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. P. V. Dolganov, B. M. Bolotin, and A. Fukuda, Phys. Rev. E: Stat., Nonlinear, Soft Matter Phys. 70, 041708 (2004).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. D. R. Link, N. Chattham, J. E. Maclennan, and N. A. Clark, Phys. Rev. E: Stat., Nonlinear, Soft Matter Phys. 71, 021704 (2005).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. A. Eremin, C. Bohley, and R. Stannarius, Eur. Phys. J. E 21, 57 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. A. Eremin, C. Bohley, and R. Stannarius, Phys. Rev. E: Stat., Nonlinear, Soft Matter Phys. 74, 040701(R) (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. P. V. Dolganov and B. M. Bolotin, JETP Lett. 77(8), 429 (2003).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. P. V. Dolganov, V. K. Dolganov, and P. Cluzeau, JETP Lett. 96(5), 317 (2012).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. D. Coleman, D. Mueller, N. A. Clark, J. E. Maclennan, R.-F. Shao, S. Bardon, and D. M. Walba, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 175505 (2003).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. P. Pieranski, L. Beliard, J.-Ph. Tournellec, X. Leoncini, C. Furtlehner, H. Dumoulin, E. Riou, B. Jouvin, J.-P. Fenerol, Ph. Palaric, J. Heuving, B. Cartier, and I. Kraus, Physica A (Amsterdam) 194, 364 (1993).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. P. Cluzeau, M. Ismaili, A. Anakkar, M. Foulon, A. Babeau, and H. T. Nguyen, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 362, 185 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. D. R. Link, G. Natale, R. Shao, J. E. Maclennan, N. A. Clark, E. Körblova, and D. M. Walba, Science (Washington) 278, 1924 (1997).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. P. E. Cladis, Y. Couder, and H. R. Brand, Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 2945 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. S. Uto, E. Tazoh, M. Ozaki, and K. Yoshino, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 36, L1198 (1997).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. R. Najjar and Y. Galerne, Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. 366, 421 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. R. Stannarius, J. Li, and W. Weissflog, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 025502 (2003).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. P. V. Dolganov, H. T. Nguyen, G. Joly, V. K. Dolganov, and P. Cluzeau, Europhys. Lett. 76, 250 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, 142432, Russia

    P. V. Dolganov & V. K. Dolganov

  2. Universite Bordeaux I, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, CNRS, Avenue A. Schweitzer, 33600, Pessac, France

    P. Cluzeau

Authors
  1. P. V. Dolganov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. K. Dolganov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Cluzeau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. V. Dolganov.

Additional information

The article is published in the original.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dolganov, P.V., Dolganov, V.K. & Cluzeau, P. The effect of spontaneous polarization on two-dimensional elasticity of smectic liquid crystals. J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 116, 1043–1049 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063776113060162

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063776113060162

Keywords

Search

Navigation