Phys. Rev. E 88, 062512 (2013) - Labyrinthine instability in freely suspended films of a polarization-modulated smectic phase

Labyrinthine instability in freely suspended films of a polarization-modulated smectic phase

Alexey Eremin, Ulrike Kornek, Ralf Stannarius, Wolfgang Weissflog, Hajnalka Nádasi, Fumito Araoka, and Hideo Takezoe

Phys. Rev. E 88, 062512 – Published 31 December 2013

Abstract

We report on fingering and labyrinthine instabilities of the layer dislocation lines in freely suspended polar liquid-crystalline films. These polar fingerlike and labyrinth structures reversibly form upon a transition into a modulated phase. External electric fields of several kV/m applied in the film plane can reversibly influence the formation of the finger textures. We show that the labyrinthine pattern is intrinsically related to regular splay deformations of the polarization.

Received 26 August 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.88.062512

©2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Alexey Eremin, Ulrike Kornek, and Ralf Stannarius

Department of Nonlinear Phenomena, Institute for Experimental Physics, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, PO box 4120, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany

Wolfgang Weissflog and Hajnalka Nádasi

Institute for Physical Chemistry, Martin Luther University Halle Wittenberg, von Danckelmann Platz 4, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany

Fumito Araoka and Hideo Takezoe

Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan

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Issue

Vol. 88, Iss. 6 — December 2013

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