Large electromechanical effect of isotropic-genesis polydomain nematic elastomers

Abstract

We demonstrate that an isotropic-genesis polydomain nematic elastomer (I-PNE) exhibits a large strain reaching 35% as well as a polydomain-to-monodomain transition at a nominal electric-field strength of 25 MV m⁻¹. The I-PNE has no ferroelectricity, and the maximum electrical strain observed is larger than the reported values for the ferroelectric chiral smectic elastomers. The I-PNE was obtained by cross-linking the mesogens in the high-temperature isotropic state and then by cooling the elastomer to the temperatures in the nematic state. The pronounced E-field responsivity originates from the softness regarding the director rotation specific to the isotropic-genesis polydomains.