<title>Synthesis of ferroelectric liquid crystal oligomer glasses for second-order nonlinear optics</title>

Abstract

We have recently described initial results of a project directed towards the design and synthesis of low molecular weight ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) for second order nonlinear optics (NLO) applications. FLCs with useful magnitude of the second order susceptibility (chi) <SUP>(2</SUP>) and processibility not possible with poled polymers or crystals have been obtained. However, for some applications liquids are not appropriate. For these applications we have been exploring the use of FLC polymers (FLCPs), and more specifically FLCP glasses. IN our view FLCP glasses represent a novel type of solid, a truly noncrystalline solid with thermodynamically stable polar order. High molecular weight FLCPs, however, suffer from very high viscosity in the isotropic state, precluding some attractive processing approaches such as capillary filling. Building upon the pioneering work of the Wacker LC-silicones group, we herein report on the synthesis and some properties of members of a class of cyclic oligosiloxane FLCs combining some of the advantages of both low molecular weight FLCs and FLCPs.