Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Measuring Magnetically-Tuned Ferroelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystals
Published on: August 15, 2018
Experimental determination of the full Landau potential of bent-core doped ferroelectric liquid crystals
1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Schuster Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
The full Landau potential of a ferroelectric liquid crystal, doped with two different bent-core molecules at varying concentration, was determined experimentally. Using a multicurve fitting procedure, temperature and electric field dependent tilt angle and polarization measurements were analyzed according to the generalized Landau model of ferroelectric liquid crystals. From this analysis the three Landau coefficients as well as the polarization-tilt coupling parameters were obtained as a function of dopant concentration. It is shown that the two most varied parameters are those of the first Landau coefficient and the (chiral) linear polarization-tilt coupling constant. The results quantitatively verify the chiral induction capability of nonchiral bent-core shaped dopants and an observed increase in the electroclinic effect with increasing dopant concentration.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor
Electrostatic Boundary Conditions in Dielectrics
Consider a case where both the mediums across a boundary are two different dielectric materials. Recall that the electric field and electric displacement are proportional and related through the material's permittivity.
Induced Electric Dipoles
Since the absolute value of potential energy holds no physical meaning, its zero value can be chosen as per...
Ferromagnetism
Molecular and Ionic Solids
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
Gauss's Law in Dielectrics

