11 July 2024 | Calum J. Gibb, Jordan Hobbs, Diana I. Nikolova, Thomas Raistrick, Stuart R. Berrow, Alenka Mertelj, Natan Osterman, Nerea Sebastián, Helen F. Gleeson & Richard. J. Mandle
This paper explores the union of spontaneous symmetry breaking and emergent polar order in liquid crystals (LCs), leading to the discovery of two new polar liquid states: the SmCpH and SmAHP phases. These phases exhibit lamellar structures with inherent polar ordering of their constituent molecules. The SmCpH phase is characterized by polar order and a local tilted structure, with the tilt direction forming a helix orthogonal to the layer normal, resulting in selective light reflection. The SmAHP phase is anti-ferroelectric, with molecules aligning orthogonally to the layer normal. The study also demonstrates the formation of room-temperature ferroelectric nematic (Nf) and SmCpH phases through binary mixture formulations, with melting points significantly below ambient temperature. These new soft matter phase types are electrical analogues of topological structures in magnetic spins. The research highlights the rich phase behavior and potential applications of these novel polar liquid states, including photo-variable capacitors and electrostatic actuators.This paper explores the union of spontaneous symmetry breaking and emergent polar order in liquid crystals (LCs), leading to the discovery of two new polar liquid states: the SmCpH and SmAHP phases. These phases exhibit lamellar structures with inherent polar ordering of their constituent molecules. The SmCpH phase is characterized by polar order and a local tilted structure, with the tilt direction forming a helix orthogonal to the layer normal, resulting in selective light reflection. The SmAHP phase is anti-ferroelectric, with molecules aligning orthogonally to the layer normal. The study also demonstrates the formation of room-temperature ferroelectric nematic (Nf) and SmCpH phases through binary mixture formulations, with melting points significantly below ambient temperature. These new soft matter phase types are electrical analogues of topological structures in magnetic spins. The research highlights the rich phase behavior and potential applications of these novel polar liquid states, including photo-variable capacitors and electrostatic actuators.