Abstract
We analyze the measured optical rotation in three- and four-layer smectic ferrielectric phases within the matrix approach to the light propagation. We show that “perfect” three- and four-layer structures with 120° and 90° phase rotation of the director in neighboring layers give negligible optical rotation of polarized light travelling along the normal to the smectic layers. Significant optical rotation is obtained in deformed three- and four-layer smectic phases. The analysis of the measured optical rotatory power clearly shows that three-layer ferrielectric phases of [4-(1-methylheptyloxycarbonylphenyl)-octylbiphenyl-4-carboxylate] and 4-[(4-{[)-methyl]heptycarboxy}phenyl)carboxy]-decyloxy-1-benzencarbatioate (10OTBBB1M7) are deformed with the deformation angle of 35°–45°. The deformation angle in the four-layer smectic phase of 10OTBBB1M7 is 70°–90°. This is in reasonable agreement with other experiments and suggests the validity of the “deformed clock model.”
- Received 16 March 2001
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.64.051706
©2001 American Physical Society