Eur. Phys. J. E (2009) 30: 1-6
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2009-10486-6

Regular Article

Theory of the non-planar surface phase in tilted smectic films under electric field

Faculté des Sciences d’Amiens, Université de Picardie, 33 rue St Leu, 80039, Amiens, France

^* e-mail: bruno.mettout@u-picardie.fr

Received: 21 February 2009
Revised: 4 May 2009
Accepted: 26 June 2009
Published online: 3 September 2009

Abstract

We present a phenomenological theory of the non-planar tilted surface phase recently observed in freely suspended smectic films. We show that the three phases —Synclinic, Anticlinic, and non-planar (Axial)— stable in non-chiral systems, merge into a single phase in chiral systems. We discuss some experimental consequences of this specific chiral feature. We predict the effects of electric field application parallel to the smectic layers on the stability of the various zero-field surface phases, and determine the conditions for the observation of field-induced chiral Anticlinic/Synclinic crossovers. In thin films they depend only on the ratio between the bulk electroclinic coupling energy and the surface electric-field-tilt coupling.