Electro‐optic response of cubic liquid crystal compounds in Kerr cell geometry

Abstract

We present the results of our investigations on the electro‐optic response of the cubic phase liquid crystal compounds 1,2‐bis‐[4‐n‐octyloxy‐benzoyl]‐hydrazine (BABH8) and 4’‐n‐hexadecyloxy‐3’‐nitrobiphenyl‐4‐carboxylic acid (ANBC16) in Kerr cell geometry. The AC electric field response in the BABH8 cubic phase was found to be as small as that of the isotropic phase, even though there was a response in the adjacent smectic C (SmC) phase. The response in the SmC phase means that the BABH8 molecule itself has an electric field coupling ability, but this ability is strongly inactivated in the cubic phase. This inactivity to the AC fields was also found in the cubic phase of ANBC16. This behaviour could be explained by the small structural unit size of the cubic phase.

Keywords:

• Kerr effects
• blue phase
• optical isotropy
• birfringence

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr Shoichi Kutsumizu of Gifu university for his advice on the synthesis of BABH8 and for supplying us with ANBC16. We also thank Mr Ken Kitashoji for his synthesis of BABH8.