Ferroelectric Nematic Liquid Crystals: Realizability and Molecular Constraints

Authors

Rolfe G. Petschek, Case Western Reserve UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-30-1988

Abstract

There is no fundamental reason that fluids should not be ferroelectric. However, the only knownferroelectric fluids are chiral smectic-C liquid crystals and related structures. We examine the possibility that molecules with permanent dipole moments can form a ferroelectric nematic phase, the least ordered conceivable ferroelectric phase. We show that reasonable electric dipole interactions between diskshaped molecules may lead to such a phase, and calculate the phase diagram using mean-field theory. Some constraints on the constituent molecules are discussed.

Publication Title

Physical Review Letters

Rights

© 1988 The American Physical Society.

Recommended Citation

Ferroelectric Nematic Liquid Crystals: Realizability and Molecular Constraints. Palffy-Muhoray P., Lee M.A., Petschek R.G., Physical Review Letters 60:22, 2303-2306, 1988. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.60.2303