Partial mixing of opposite chirality in a bent-shaped liquid crystal molecular system

Abstract

Layer structure and electrooptical switching were studied in a bent-shaped achiral liquid crystal molecule, P-12-PIMB. By the application of a dc field during slow cooling from the isotropic phase to the highest temperature smectic phase, B₂, large uniform domains of about 0.5 mm diameter were obtained. A tilted antiferroelectric structure was confirmed in the B₂ phase by means of texture observations and switching current measurements. The molecular tilt angle was found to be independent of temperature and was 34°. In addition, domains with a smaller apparent tilt angle were also observed, suggesting that layers with different senses of chirality coexist in the domain.