Phenomenological model of chiral polar smectics is introduced with interactions up to the fourth neighboring layers. The minimization of the free energy gives three stable structures: the ferroelectric Sm C∗ phase, the antiferroelectric Sm CA∗ phase and the hellicoidally modulated structure of the Sm CH∗ phase. The phase Sm Cα∗ can be recognized as the Sm CH∗ phase below Sm A phase and as the Sm CFI2∗ phase or as the Sm CFI1∗ phase when appearing between the Sm C∗ phase and the Sm CA∗ phase. Stability of these phases is analyzed and the phase diagram in the space of model parameters is presented.
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0009327,
title = {Short pitch structures in smectics with interactions over more than two layers},
author = {Mojca Cepic and Barbara Rovsek and Bostjan Zeks},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0009327},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
12 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Mol.Cryst. Liq. Cryts. Proceedings of ILCC2000