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Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals
Published on: May 29, 2018
Optical studies on free-standing films of an achiral smectic liquid crystal
1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|February 3, 2004
Abstract:
Employing null transmission ellipsometry and depolarized reflected light microscopy, we have studied two smectic phases, Sm-C1 and Sm-C2, of one achiral mesogen. Our results show that Sm-C1 and Sm-C2 are the synclinic Sm-C and anticlinic Sm-C(A) phases, respectively. We find no evidence to support recent claims that the Sm-C1 is chiral and ferroelectric [R. Stannarius et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 025502 (2003)].
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