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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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Ferroelectric nematic liquids with conics
Priyanka Kumari1,2, Bijaya Basnet1,2, Hao Wang1
1Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.
Nature Communications
|February 10, 2023
Summary
Domain walls in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals form conic sections, unlike in solids. These unique shapes naturally bisect polarization fields, offering new ways to control electric polarization and space charge patterns.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Liquid crystal science
- Materials science
Background:
- Solid ferroelectrics exhibit spontaneous electric polarization aligned with crystallographic axes.
- Domain walls (DWs) in solids are typically flat and influenced by bulk order and surface geometry.
- Ferroelectric nematic (NF) liquid crystals possess polar order without crystallographic axes or facets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the geometry and behavior of domain walls (DWs) in ferroelectric nematic (NF) liquid crystals.
- To understand how DWs form and function in the absence of traditional aligning factors like crystallographic axes and surfaces.
- To explore the implications of DW geometry for controlling electric polarization and space charge.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of domain wall formation in a fluid system with polar long-range orientational order.
- Geometric modeling to describe the shape of domain walls in the absence of crystallographic constraints.
- Investigation of the charge-avoidance mechanisms governing DW geometry.
Main Results:
- Domain walls (DWs) in ferroelectric nematic (NF) liquid crystals adopt shapes of conic sections.
- These conic sections intrinsically bisect the angle between adjacent polarization fields, preventing electric charge accumulation.
- The geometry of DWs is dictated by the polar order of the liquid crystal, not by crystallographic axes or surface facets.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals that conic sections are intrinsic features of domain walls in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals.
- The bisecting property of these conic DWs is a fundamental mechanism for managing electric polarization in these materials.
- These findings provide a basis for designing novel patterns of electric polarization and space charge in liquid ferroelectrics.
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