Structural study of the smectic-C twist grain boundary phase (TGBC) under external electric field

M. Petit; P. Barois; H. T. Nguyen

doi:doi:10.1209/epl/i1996-00207-5

Structural study of the smectic-C twist grain boundary phase (TGBC ) under external electric field DOI: 10.1209/epl/i1996-00207-5

Europhys. Lett, 36 (3), pp. 185-190 (1996)

Structural study of the smectic-C twist grain boundary phase (TGBC ) under external electric field

M. Petit, P. Barois and H. T. Nguyen

Centre de recherche Paul-Pascal - Avenue A. Schweitzer, F-33600 Pessac, France

(received 6 June 1996; accepted in final form 16 September 1996)

PACS. 61.30Gd - Orientational order of liquid crystals; electric and magnetic field effects on order.
PACS. 64.70Md - Transitions in liquid crystals.
PACS. 74.60Ge - Flux pinning, flux creep, and flux-line lattice dynamics.

Abstract:

We report structural X-ray studies on well-aligned TGBC samples under an external DC electric field applied perpendicular to the pitch direction. On increasing the field, the helical structure is progressively distorted and finally unwound in a way which confirms the previously assumed picture of local spontaneous polarizations perpendicular to the helical axis (helielectric model). In terms of de Gennes' analogy with type-II superconductors, the behaviour is analogous to a static distorsion of the Abrikosov flux lattice by a spatially modulated Laplace force.