Frustrated Structure Induced on Ferroelectric Smectic Phases in Banana-Shaped Molecular System

Abstract

We found that the frustration, i.e., unusual density modulation, is induced on ferroelectric SmA b and HexB b phases composed of achiral banana-shaped molecules. The frustration takes place along the bent direction of molecules, with four or five molecules included in each inversion unit. Such an unusual frustrated structure may be explained as a result of a two-dimensional escape from spontaneous polarization in the ferroelectric phases.