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Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Measuring Magnetically-Tuned Ferroelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystals
Published on: August 15, 2018
Helical vs. non-helical nematic and lamellar proper ferroelectric liquid crystal phases
D Pociecha1, Z Thornborrow1, J Karcz2
1Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland. pociu@chem.uw.edu.pl.
Abstract:
A new homologous series of mesogenic compounds with nearly linear mesogenic cores was studied, and it showed a strong discrimination between nematic and smectic phases with respect to the length of the terminal chain. For short homologues a ferroelectric nematic, NF and a heliconical nematic, NTBF phases were observed, while for longer ones they were replaced with ferroelectric smectic AF and CF phases. The n = 3 homologue exhibits a unique sequence of SmCF and its heliconical analogue SmCHP. Replacing an alkyne linkage in the mesogenic core with an alkene one favoured smectic phases and led to the appearance of a modulated-type SmAAF phase.
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