Journal
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
Volume 19, Issue 16, Pages 2592-2600Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/adfm.200801865
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Funding
- EU-STREP Biaxial Nematic Devices (BIND) [FP7-216025]
- INSTM
- Fondazione CRT (FCRTnano project)
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The still undiscovered fluid ferroelectric nematic phase is expected to exhibit a much faster and easier response to an external electric field compared to conventional ferroelectric smectic liquid crystals; therefore, the discovery of such a phase could open new avenues in electro-optic device technology. Here, experimental evidence of a ferroelectric response to a switching electric field in a low molar mass nematic liquid crystal is reported and connected with field-induced biaxiality. The fluid is made of bent-core polar molecules and is nematic over a range of 120 degrees C. Combining repolarization current measurements, electro-optical characterizations, X-ray diffraction and computer simulations, ferroelectric switching is demonstrated and it is concluded that the response is due to field-induced reorganization of polar cybotactic groups within the nematic phase. This work represents significant progress toward the realization of ferroelectric fluids that can be aligned at command with a simple electric field.
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