Chiral ground states of ferroelectric liquid crystals

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Kumari, Priyanka, Basnet, Bijaya, Lavrentovich, Maxim O., Lavrentovich, Oleg D.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Kumari, Priyanka
Basnet, Bijaya
Lavrentovich, Maxim O.
Lavrentovich, Oleg D.
author_facet Kumari, Priyanka
Basnet, Bijaya
Lavrentovich, Maxim O.
Lavrentovich, Oleg D.
contents Ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals are formed by achiral molecules with large dipole moments. Its three-dimensional orientational order is universally described as unidirectionally polar. We demonstrate that the ground state of ferroelectric nematic unconstrained by externally imposed alignment directions is chiral, with left- and right-hand twists of polarization. Although the helicoidal deformations and defect walls separating domains of opposite handedness increase the elastic energy, the twists reduce the electrostatic energy and become weaker when the material is doped with ions. The study shows that the polar orientational order of molecules could trigger chirality in the soft matter with no chemically induced chiral centers.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2401_09675
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Chiral ground states of ferroelectric liquid crystals
Kumari, Priyanka
Basnet, Bijaya
Lavrentovich, Maxim O.
Lavrentovich, Oleg D.
Soft Condensed Matter
Materials Science
Ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals are formed by achiral molecules with large dipole moments. Its three-dimensional orientational order is universally described as unidirectionally polar. We demonstrate that the ground state of ferroelectric nematic unconstrained by externally imposed alignment directions is chiral, with left- and right-hand twists of polarization. Although the helicoidal deformations and defect walls separating domains of opposite handedness increase the elastic energy, the twists reduce the electrostatic energy and become weaker when the material is doped with ions. The study shows that the polar orientational order of molecules could trigger chirality in the soft matter with no chemically induced chiral centers.
title Chiral ground states of ferroelectric liquid crystals
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.09675