Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Study of the SmC alpha(*) phase in the Tokyo mixture by conoscopy using tilted cell
AU - Song, Jangkun
AU - Chandani, A. D. L.
AU - Panarina, O. E.
AU - Fukuda, Atsuo
AU - Vij, Jagdish K.
AU - Goertz, V.
AU - Goodby, J. W.
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - We observed the existence of the SmC*(alpha) phase in the so-called Tokyo mixture, which has been used for studying V-shape switching by a number of research groups. Conoscopic observations, birefringence measurements using a set-up that employs a photo elastic modulator (PEM) and dielectric measurement were used for studying the behavior of the SmC*(alpha) phase. In particular, a conoscopic method using tilted cells was used to observe the conoscopy of the large tilt angle phase. We found that the tilted conoscopic method is very useful for analyzing large tilt smectic phases. The SmC alpha* phase was observed in a narrow temperature range from 63.0 degrees C to 63.4 degrees C. This is the first report of an observation of this phase in the Tokyo Mixture. It showed uniaxiality at low voltage but changed to biaxiality parallel to the electric field at high voltage in the conoscopic experiment. The absolute value of the biaxiality was quite high, up to 0.003, which means that the unwinding process of SmC*(alpha) is different from that of SmC*. This high parallel biaxiality implies the emergence of ferri-like structure, that is, co-existence of synclinic order and anticlinic order, during the field induced unwinding process.
AB - We observed the existence of the SmC*(alpha) phase in the so-called Tokyo mixture, which has been used for studying V-shape switching by a number of research groups. Conoscopic observations, birefringence measurements using a set-up that employs a photo elastic modulator (PEM) and dielectric measurement were used for studying the behavior of the SmC*(alpha) phase. In particular, a conoscopic method using tilted cells was used to observe the conoscopy of the large tilt angle phase. We found that the tilted conoscopic method is very useful for analyzing large tilt smectic phases. The SmC alpha* phase was observed in a narrow temperature range from 63.0 degrees C to 63.4 degrees C. This is the first report of an observation of this phase in the Tokyo Mixture. It showed uniaxiality at low voltage but changed to biaxiality parallel to the electric field at high voltage in the conoscopic experiment. The absolute value of the biaxiality was quite high, up to 0.003, which means that the unwinding process of SmC*(alpha) is different from that of SmC*. This high parallel biaxiality implies the emergence of ferri-like structure, that is, co-existence of synclinic order and anticlinic order, during the field induced unwinding process.
KW - SmCa phase
KW - V-shape mode switching
KW - Tokyo mixture
KW - ALPHA-ASTERISK PHASE
KW - LIQUID-CRYSTAL
KW - THRESHOLDLESS ANTIFERROELECTRICITY
U2 - 10.1080/00150190600966813
DO - 10.1080/00150190600966813
M3 - Journal article
VL - 344
SP - 285
EP - 291
JO - Ferroelectrics
JF - Ferroelectrics
SN - 0015-0193
IS - 1
T2 - 10th Conference on Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals
Y2 - 12 September 2005 through 17 September 2005
ER -