Entropy stabilized form chirality in curved rod nematics: structure and symmetries
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2024
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| author | Vanakaras, Alexandros G. Samulski, Edward T. Photinos, Demetri J. |
| author_facet | Vanakaras, Alexandros G. Samulski, Edward T. Photinos, Demetri J. |
| contents | Monte Carlo molecular simulations of curve-shaped rods show the propensity of such shapes to polymorphism revealing both smectic and polar nematic phases. The nematic exhibits a nanoscale modulated local structure characterized by a unique, polar, $\rm{C}_2$-symmetry axis that tightly spirals generating a mirror-symmetry-breaking orgnization of the achiral rods=form chirality. A comprehensive characterization of the polarity and its symmetries in the nematic phase confirms that the nanoscale modulation is distinct from the elastic deformations of a uniaxial nematic director in the twist-bend nematic phase. Instead it is shown that, analogous to the isotropic-to-nematic transition, entropy stabilizes the roto-translating polar director in the polar-twisted nematic phase. The conflation of macroscale form chirality in ferroelectric nematics with that in the twist-bend nematic stems from the misattribution of the nanoscale modulation in the lower temperature nematic ''$\rm{N_X}$ phase'' found in CB7CB dimers. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_13325 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Entropy stabilized form chirality in curved rod nematics: structure and symmetries Vanakaras, Alexandros G. Samulski, Edward T. Photinos, Demetri J. Soft Condensed Matter Materials Science Chemical Physics Monte Carlo molecular simulations of curve-shaped rods show the propensity of such shapes to polymorphism revealing both smectic and polar nematic phases. The nematic exhibits a nanoscale modulated local structure characterized by a unique, polar, $\rm{C}_2$-symmetry axis that tightly spirals generating a mirror-symmetry-breaking orgnization of the achiral rods=form chirality. A comprehensive characterization of the polarity and its symmetries in the nematic phase confirms that the nanoscale modulation is distinct from the elastic deformations of a uniaxial nematic director in the twist-bend nematic phase. Instead it is shown that, analogous to the isotropic-to-nematic transition, entropy stabilizes the roto-translating polar director in the polar-twisted nematic phase. The conflation of macroscale form chirality in ferroelectric nematics with that in the twist-bend nematic stems from the misattribution of the nanoscale modulation in the lower temperature nematic ''$\rm{N_X}$ phase'' found in CB7CB dimers. |
| title | Entropy stabilized form chirality in curved rod nematics: structure and symmetries |
| topic | Soft Condensed Matter Materials Science Chemical Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.13325 |