We studied the effect of polymer networks on the temperature dependence of the optical Bragg reflections of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal which forms the chiral ferroelectric (SmC*), intermediate and antiferroelectric (SmC A *) phases. When polymerization is carried out in the SmC* phase, this phase is stabilized at the expense of the intermediate phases and the corresponding Bragg wavelengths follow a non-Landau description. When polymerization is in the SmA phase, the Bragg wavelengths of the SmC* and SmC A * phases are largely temperature independent. The intermediate phases are stabilized at the expense of the SmC* phase in non-radiated samples, which contain traces of the photo-polymer. The range over which the SmC A * is stable is unaffected by polymerization.
Ferroelectrics
Volume 321, 2005 - Issue 1
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