Elbctroclinic and dielectric properties of chiral SmC influenced by the substance chirality

Abstract

The left and right handed versions of a chiral SnC* material have been mixed to change the substance chirality. The dielectric and electroclinic properties measured in the temperature range T_c ÷ T_C+2K and the frequency range 120 Hz ÷ 1.6 MHz allow to determine the relaxation frequency f_r, dielectric susceptibility X_ec and electroclinic coefficient e of the soft mode for the studied mixtures. The dependences 1/X_ec(T), 1/e(T), f_r(T) obey the Curie-Weiss law. From these dependences the first three coefficients of the free energy and the viscosity of the soft mode have been determined. The C coefficient driving the linear interaction CP0 is the only one influenced by the chirality. It depends linearly on the mixture concentration n. This dependence results in the shift of the phase transition temperature Δ_c ∼ n².