9 papers
Mirror vs. inversion symmetry breaking in mesogenic dimers: NTB vs. NF phase
Małgorzata Bakiera, Jakub Karcz, Damian Pociecha +4
The recently discovered twist-bend nematic NTB and ferroelectric nematic NF phases are distinct examples of spontaneous symmetry breaking in liquid crystals. Here, we report the oc…
Competing ferroelectric and smectic order: modulated structures through molecular design
Grant J. Strachan, Ewa Górecka, Jadwiga Szydłowska +1
We demonstrate that the balance between polar and positional order can be systematically tuned through molecular engineering, providing direct control over the emergence of polar a…
Helix alignment, chevrons, and edge dislocations in twist-bend ferroelectric nematics
Bijaya Basnet, Priyanka Kumari, Sathyanarayana Paladugu +6
We explore surface alignment and edge dislocations in the recently discovered twist-bend ferroelectric nematic, NTBF, in which the vector of spontaneous polarization follows an obl…
Competition between mirror symmetry breaking and translation symmetry breaking in ferroelectric liquid crystals with increasing lateral substitution
Grant J. Strachan, Ewa Górecka, Damian Pociecha
The recently discovered heliconical ferroelectric nematic (NTBF) phase is a unique example of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in a proper ferroelectric fluid. In this study, w…
Interplay of polar order and positional order in liquid crystals -- observation of re-entrant ferroelectric nematic phase
Grant Strachan, Shona Ramsay, Marijus Juodka +6
We show that development of polar order may spontaneously destroy the lamellar structure of a liquid crystal. This results in an unusual sequence of phases with the ferroelectric n…
The role of terminal groups in non-chiral rod-like compounds on the formation of polar fluids
Michał Czerwiński, Mateusz Mrukiewicz, Mateusz Filipow +5
The emergence of ferroelectric mesophases in non-chiral liquid crystal (LCs) has sparked fundamental interest in the molecular mechanisms governing polarity. In this study, we inve…
Twist Grain Boundary phases in proper ferroelectric liquid crystals realm
Damian Pociecha, Jadwiga Szydlowska, Nataša Vaupotič +7
The twist-grain-boundary (TGB) phases, characterized by a periodic, helical arrangement of blocks made of polar smectic phases, SmAF and SmCF, have been discovered. They have been…
Spontaneous helix formation in polar smectic phase
Ewa Gorecka, Magdalena Majewska, Ladislav Fekete +4
In soft ferroelectric crystals, the depolarization field can be reduced by periodic distortion of the polarization direction. In the polar nematic and tilted smectic phases, this p…
The balance between paraelectricity and ferroelectricity in non-chiral smectic homologs
Dorota Węgłowska, Michał Czerwiński, Robert Dzienisiewicz +4
Non-chiral liquid crystals (LCs) exhibiting ferroelectricity, distinguished by their dynamic responsiveness to external stimuli and high spontaneous polarization, provide renewed i…