Temperature and bias electric field dependence of dielectric parameters of (S)-(+)-4-(1-methylheptyloxycarbonyl) phenyl-4’-(3-butanoiloxyprop-1-oxy)biphenyl-4’-carboxylate

Abstract

Temperature and bias electric field-dependent dielectric behaviour of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal compound was investigated in the frequency range 1 Hz to 10 MHz. The investigated compound possessed paraelectric (SmA*) and antiferroelectric () phases, in addition to a monotropic hexatic antiferroelectric smectic () phase. The dielectric study showed the presence of a soft mode in the SmA* phase. In the phase, two weak relaxation modes were observed for a planar orientation of molecules. These two modes were related to antiferroelectric ordering and the helical structure of the phase. Two modes, related to the hexatic order of the phase, were also observed and characterized in terms of bond-orientational order and coupling to the molecular tilt direction. With respect to non-collective modes, rotation around the short axis of molecules was detected in the SmA* and phases for a homeotropic alignment.