Pseudo-polar tilted smectic phases exhibited by bent-core hockey stick shaped molecules

Abstract

We report experimental and theoretical studies on two new achiral fluid lamellar phases exhibited by bent-core hockey stick shaped molecules. The packing of these bent-core hockey stick shaped molecules in the layers leads to a pseudo-polar order in these tilted smectic phases. An anticlinic SmC_A type stacking of the pseudo-polar layers is observed in the higher temperature smectic phase, while in the lower temperature phase the difference in the azimuthal angles of the tilt directions in successive layers is between zero and π with a randomized tilt organization between the successive layers. The randomness arises due to the sign degeneracy of the azimuthal angle difference of the tilt directions in successive layers. Both of these smectic phases show a strong electro-optic response which can be exploited for potential applications.