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Updated: Oct 1, 2026

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals
Published on: May 29, 2018
Observation of the soft-mode condensation in the Sm-A-Sm-C(*)(alpha) phase transition by nonlinear dielectric
Hiroshi Orihara1, Andika Fajar, Valéry Bourny
1Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan.
Abstract:
We have theoretically and experimentally studied the nonlinear dielectric response under large orientational fluctuations near the Sm-A-Sm-C(*)(alpha) phase transition point in a chiral smectic liquid crystal. The third-order nonlinear dielectric response due to the fluctuations was observed in the vicinity of the transition point. By using it, we have successfully observed the soft-mode condensation inducing the Sm-A-Sm-C(*)(alpha) phase transition.
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