APS » PROLA » Phys. Rev. E » Volume 61 » Issue 4

Phys. Rev. E 61, 3977 - 3983 (2000)

Chiral twisting of a smectic-A liquid crystal

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M. S. Spector1, S. K. Prasad1,2, B. T. Weslowski1,3, R. D. Kamien4, J. V. Selinger1, B. R. Ratna1, and R. Shashidhar1
1Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6950, Washington, D.C. 20375-5348
2Centre for Liquid Crystal Research, Jalahalli, Bangalore 560 013, India
3George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030
4Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

Received 12 July 1999

Chiral twisting of the molecular orientation within the layer of a smectic-A liquid crystal has been investigated using circular dichroism spectroscopy. The results indicate that a rotation of the layers away from the alignment direction is induced by the surface electroclinic effect. This leads to an interfacial region where the molecular director twists from the alignment direction until it reaches the layer normal direction. A theory is presented to explain the observed field and temperature dependence of the circular dichroism.


©2000 The American Physical Society

URL: http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRE/v61/p3977
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.61.3977
PACS: 61.30.Gd, 68.45.-v, 78.20.Ek

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