Eur. Phys. J. E 1, 61-65
Tilted smectic layers of a
liquid crystal between homeotropically treated plates
M. Giocondo1 - A. Jákli2 - A. Saupe2
1 Unità
INFM di Cosenza, c/o Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria,
87036 Arcavacata (Cosenza), Italy
2 Max Planck Research Group, Liquid Crystal Systems,
Mühlpforte 1, 06108 Halle/S, Germany
Giocondo@fis.unical.it
Received 17 July 1998
Abstract
We investigated SmC* films sandwiched between silane coated glass plates and
observed formation of textures exhibiting a uniform tilt of the smectic layers with respect
to the boundary plates. The layer tilt angle increases from zero to
as the sample is
cooled from the smectic A phase to room temperature. These films show linear
electro-optical
effects because the permanent polarization can be aligned so that it has a
component parallel to the applied field without changing the layer structure.
Our analysis indicates that mainly two effects determine the layer tilt. On the one
hand, the surface tension tends to minimise the layer tilt. On the other hand, the surface
energy promotes the director to be normal to the boundary plates.
PACS
61.30.-v Liquid crystals
-
61.30.Cz Theory and models of liquid crystal
structure
-
61.30.Jf Defects in liquid crystals
Copyright EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag
