Polymer stabilisation of twisted smectic liquid crystal defect states

Abstract

Polymer stabilisation of a state similar to a twist grain boundary phase is demonstrated. Layers of micrometre thick polymer networks are formed which exhibit discretely varying orientational order. The polymer network shows a high degree of orientational order with an order parameter of approximately S ≈ 0.8, which is equal for all layers formed, and equivalent to that of a polymer network formed in the smectic A* phase. The mechanism of photo-polymerisation in liquid crystalline defect phases is discussed and may offer potential for the synthesis of photonic structures in the visible and IR wavelength range.