Antiferroelectric and ferroelectric SmC* phases in racemic mixture

Abstract

Antiferroelectric Sm phase can be created at cooling from Iso, SmA* and SmC* phases. When antiferroelectric phase appears from the ferroelectric one, the magnitude of Goldstone mode detected in SmC* is much higher than the amplitude of low frequency P_L mode observed in Sm. Due to this fact it is impossible to compare both modes. Such a comparison would be interesting because the mechanism of forming the Goldstone and P_L modes seems to be similar. In this article we compare the Goldstone mode with the P_L one. It is possible because the new racemic mixture, which shows both SmC* and Sm phases, was prepared. Moreover, the magnitude of the Goldstone mode in the racemate is comparable with the magnitude of P_L mode, which makes the comparison possible. The results show that the behavior of P_L and Goldstone modes are very similar. The parameters of the Goldstone mode in SmC* and parameters of P_L mode in Sm change continuously.

Keywords:

• Goldstone mode
• P_L mode
• ferroelectric and antiferroelectric phase
• racemate
• Cole–Cole model

Acknowledgments

This work was carried out in the year 2012 under the financial support of the Polish Ministry of Sciences and Higher Education, Key Project POIG.01.03.01‐14‐016/08 ‘New photonic materials and their advanced application’.