New fluorinated chiral side-chain polymers with very large tilt angles in the smectic C* phase

Abstract

A fluorinated chiral side-chain polysiloxane with very large tilt angles in the ferroelectric phase was studied. The optical response on an applied square wave could be analyzed in detail by an optical/electrical model for the cell, only assuming book-shelf geometry and negligible dielectric director torques. The model yields molecular tilt angles to a high accuracy by a curve-fitting procedure. Comparisons to other mesogenic substituents were also made, and indications were found that small (monatomic) substituents favor large tilt angles.