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arXiv · 2301.06915

Ferroelectric nematic -- isotropic critical end point

Jadwiga Szydlowska·Pawel Majewski·Mojca Čepič·Nataša Vaupotič·Paulina Rybak·Corrie T Imrie·Rebecca Walker·Ewan Cruickshank·John MD Storey·Damian Pociecha·Ewa Gorecka
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Abstract

A critical end point above which an isotropic phase continuously evolves into a polar (ferroelectric) nematic phase with an increasing electric field is found in a ferroelectric nematic liquid crystalline material. The critical end point is approximately 30 K above the zero-field transition temperature from the isotropic to nematic phase and at an electric field of the order of 10 V/micron. Such systems are interesting from the application point of view because a strong birefringence can be induced in a broad temperature range in an optically isotropic phase.

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Jadwiga Szydlowska, Pawel Majewski, Mojca Čepič, Nataša Vaupotič, Paulina Rybak, Corrie T Imrie, Rebecca Walker, Ewan Cruickshank, John MD Storey, Damian Pociecha, Ewa Gorecka. 2023-01-17. Ferroelectric nematic -- isotropic critical end point. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.130.216802

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