Electric Field Influence on Freely Suspended Films of Liquid Crystal E1018 with Flexible Core in the Temperature Region of Smectic A -Smectic C Phase Transition

摘要

We present here results of our spectroellipsometric investigations of freely suspended films of chiral ferroelectric liquid crystal El0/8 around its smectic A - smectic C* phase transition. Results obtained at weak (6÷8 V/cm) d.c. aligning electric field and without it display remarkable difference of El0/8 behavior in these cases. If at applied field we have standard behavior of rod-like molecules with their inclination when passing from the SmA to the SmC* phase, results with no aligning field are completely opposite. In this case the thickness of free-standing film noticeable and reversible increases. We prescribe it to stretching of flexible E10/8 molecules at increasing of ordering forces in more symmetrical SmC* phase.