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High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
Published on: October 31, 2019
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Mechanisms to splay-bend nematic phases.
N Chaturvedi1, Randall D Kamien1
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104-6396, USA.
Physical Review. E
|October 3, 2019
Summary
Researchers explored mechanisms for inducing splay-bend nematic liquid crystal phases. Flexoelectricity is a viable cause, while bond orientational order is not, due to nematic symmetry and phase chirality.
Area of Science:
- Liquid Crystal Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Twist-bend nematic phases are well-researched.
- Two-dimensional, oscillating splay-bend phases have only recently been observed experimentally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate theoretical models for inducing splay-bend nematic phases.
- To evaluate the roles of flexoelectricity and bond orientational order in splay-bend phase formation.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of liquid crystal phases.
- Analysis of flexoelectric and bond orientational order effects on phase formation.
Main Results:
- Flexoelectricity, specifically splay and bend flexoelectric couplings, can induce splay-bend phases with varying modulations.
- Bond orientational order, while simplifying free energy calculations, is ruled out as a fundamental mechanism due to nematic symmetry and phase chirality.
Conclusions:
- Flexoelectricity is a key mechanism for the formation of splay-bend nematic phases.
- Bond orientational order is not a primary driver for these phases in nematic liquid crystals.
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