Dielectric, viscosity, and pitch measurements of a ferroelectric liquid crystal exhibiting the phase sequence smectic M–smectic C

Abstract

A chiral liquid crystal compound exhibiting the ferroelectric smectic C phase and the recently discovered ferroelectric smectic M phase has been studied by measurements of the Goldstone-mode relaxation frequency and dielectric strength, the spontaneous polarization, the tilt angle and the helical pitch. The data allow the determination of the Goldstone-mode rotational viscosity and the pitch controlling elastic constant. The results indicate that the smectic M phase is characterized by a larger molecular order within the smectic layers compared to the smectic C phase confirming the assumption of a tilted hexatic structure for the smectic M phase.