Ferroelectric and Structured Phases from Polar Tapered Mesogens

Abstract

We investigate the effect of changing the molecular dipole strength on the liquid crystal phases formed in a system of tapered Gay-Berne particles with an axial dipole. We show that increasing the strength of the dipole has a profound effect on the stability and molecular organisation of the phases and eventually destroys the polar ferroelectric nematic.

Keywords:

• Ferroelectrics
• Monte Carlo simulations
• Gay-Berne
• polar nematics

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank University of Bologna, MIUR (PRIN Cristalli Liquidi) INSTM and EU TMR FULCE project for financial support.