Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 14, 2026
06:24
High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal
Published on: October 31, 2019
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3D Hierarchical Twists in Polar Fluids: Chirality Regulation by Ultralow Electric Field
Hiroya Nishikawa1, Dennis Kwaria1, Atsuko Nihonyanagi1
1RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|October 23, 2025
Summary
Researchers demonstrate extrinsic chiral symmetry breaking (CSB) in helical polar fluids. This novel technique allows ultralow electric field control over chirality, enabling unique light-switching capabilities in 3D chiral systems.
Area of Science:
- Liquid crystals
- Chirality
- Ferroelectricity
Background:
- Helical polar fluids exhibit spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking (CSB).
- Ferroelectric nematic and smectic phases possess intrinsic chirality.
- Surface anchoring can stabilize chiral configurations.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce extrinsic CSB as a novel chiral engineering technique.
- Construct a 3D chiral system (helielectric conical mesophase - HEC) to demonstrate extrinsic CSB.
- Enable macroscopic chirality control via ultralow electric fields.
Main Methods:
- Utilized polarization escape, conformational chirality, and elastic effects for spontaneous CSB.
- Engineered an extrinsic twisted configuration via surface anchoring.
- Constructed a helielectric conical mesophase (HEC) 3D chiral system.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated extrinsic CSB in a 3D chiral system.
- Achieved chirality (twist) modulation using an ultralow electric field.
- Observed control over unique diffraction patterns and circular polarized light-switching.
Conclusions:
- Extrinsic CSB is a viable technique for chiral engineering in polar fluids.
- The HEC system offers precise, field-controlled chirality modulation.
- This approach facilitates macroscopic control of chiral properties for optical applications.
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