Study of the orientational ordering in the field-induced intermedate phase from the SmC *Fi2 phase in chiral smectic liquid crystals

Abstract

Under an electric field, chiral smectic liquid crystals transit usually to the unwound SmC* phase where the helical structure is completely unrolled. Sometimes the sample transits initially towards an intermediate polar state before the total destruction of the helix. The discovery of this intermediate phase opens a promising field of application especially in the field of color displays. This gives importance to the study and the characterization of this new phase. Based on the extension of the Hammaneh-Taylor model (H&T model), a theoretical study of these field-induced phase transitions was carried out. Two hypotheses of the dynamics that give rise appearance of the intermediate phase have been discussed. Numerical analysis confirms the known experimental results; the intermediate phase has a three-layer periodicity structure.