Landau theory applied to antiferroelectric ordering in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Badu, Manisha, Ghimire, Arjun, Milon, Kumari, Priyanka, Bisoyi, Hari Krishna, Lavrentovich, Oleg D., Gleeson, James, Jakli, Antal, Sprunt, Samuel
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Badu, Manisha
Ghimire, Arjun
Milon
Kumari, Priyanka
Bisoyi, Hari Krishna
Lavrentovich, Oleg D.
Gleeson, James
Jakli, Antal
Sprunt, Samuel
author_facet Badu, Manisha
Ghimire, Arjun
Milon
Kumari, Priyanka
Bisoyi, Hari Krishna
Lavrentovich, Oleg D.
Gleeson, James
Jakli, Antal
Sprunt, Samuel
contents The polarization and density modulation associated with antiferroelectric ordering is studied experimentally as a function of temperature in two ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals, the prototypical single compound (DIO) and a commercial mixture (FNLC919). The modulation wavenumber qA is determined by small angle X-ray diffraction from the weak smectic-like density wave (wavenumber qS = 2qA) that accompanies the polarization modulation. Results for qS and the saturated value of the polarization are analyzed in terms of Landau theory previously developed to describe the para-/antiferro-/feroelectric sequence of phase transitions in solid ferroelectrics. The analysis indicates that the polarization modulation is reasonably well approximated by a simple sinusoid in the antiferroelectric phase of DIO, whereas in FNLC919 the modulation develops a strongly soliton-like profile (with sharply decreasing wavenumber) close to the antiferro- to ferrolectric transition.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_11413
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Landau theory applied to antiferroelectric ordering in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals
Badu, Manisha
Ghimire, Arjun
Milon
Kumari, Priyanka
Bisoyi, Hari Krishna
Lavrentovich, Oleg D.
Gleeson, James
Jakli, Antal
Sprunt, Samuel
Soft Condensed Matter
The polarization and density modulation associated with antiferroelectric ordering is studied experimentally as a function of temperature in two ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals, the prototypical single compound (DIO) and a commercial mixture (FNLC919). The modulation wavenumber qA is determined by small angle X-ray diffraction from the weak smectic-like density wave (wavenumber qS = 2qA) that accompanies the polarization modulation. Results for qS and the saturated value of the polarization are analyzed in terms of Landau theory previously developed to describe the para-/antiferro-/feroelectric sequence of phase transitions in solid ferroelectrics. The analysis indicates that the polarization modulation is reasonably well approximated by a simple sinusoid in the antiferroelectric phase of DIO, whereas in FNLC919 the modulation develops a strongly soliton-like profile (with sharply decreasing wavenumber) close to the antiferro- to ferrolectric transition.
title Landau theory applied to antiferroelectric ordering in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals
topic Soft Condensed Matter
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.11413