Anomalous Alignment in the Smectic Phase of a Liquid Crystal Owing to an Electric Field

Abstract

Measurements of the dielectric loss in a liquid crystal, exhibiting both nematic and smectic phases, show an ordering with the long axes of the molecules preferring a direction papallel to both dc and 5000-Hz electric fields in the nematic phase. In the smectic phase the preferred direction is parallel to a 5000-Hz electric field and perpendicular to a dc field. The observed alignment of the smectic phase in a dc field is believed to be anomalous and it is suggested that this effect may be associated with the conductivity anisotropy.