Tetrahedratic cross-couplings: novel physics for banana liquid crystals

Liquid crystal phases (M) formed by achiral bent-core molecules (banana LCs) are distinguishable from those of their classical (i.e., rod/disc-shaped) counterparts with only quadrupolar order. We argue that the interplay between tetrahedratic (octupolar) and quadrupolar order clarifies the physics of banana LCs sufficiently to account for two effects only observed in achiral banana LCs: a 100 times larger field-induced anisotropy than observed in classical LCs and ambidextrous chirality where left- and right-handed chiral domains co-exist. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.