Chiral domains of the SmCP_A phase formed by cooling the isotropic liquid or by field-induced nucleation above the clearing temperature

Abstract

Three homologues belonging to a new class of achiral and asymmetric bent-core mesogens have been synthesized. The mesophase behaviour was investigated using polarizing optical microscopy, and by X-ray and electro-optical measurements. On cooling the isotropic liquid, the SmCP_A phase of the dodecyloxy homologue forms a non-birefringent texture which exhibits randomly distributed domains of opposite handedness. Surprisingly, such chiral domains could also be induced above the clearing temperature using a sufficiently high electric field.