Figure 1

Molecular structure of the studied compounds with phase sequence and phase-transition temperatures.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 2

(Color online) Low angle x-ray pattern for compound 1 in the (a) nematic and (b) Sm$C$ phase and compound 2 in the (c) nematic and (d) Sm$A$ phase. On each pattern the azimuthal dependence of the signal intensity is shown. Intensity of the signals in the nematic (dotted blue line) and smectic (solid black line) phases vs wave vector $q$ for compounds (e) 1 and (f) 2.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 3

Experimental and simulated ESR spectra of paramagnetically doped compound 1 in nematic phase, $\text{T}=142°\text{C}$. Sample is aligned with the director parallel to the external magnetic field.Reuse & Permissions

Figure 4

(Color online) Simulated form factor for molecules with bent core shape if (a) molecular rotation is completely frozen and biaxial order is ideal and (b) molecules are free to rotate around the long molecular axis. Parameters: the core length is half of the whole molecule length, the bending angle is $120°$. Structure factor for the nematic phase with (c) Sm$A$-like fluctuations and (d) Sm$C$-like fluctuations; ${\xi }_{\parallel }$ is 10 molecular lengths, ${\xi }_{\perp }$ is 10 molecular breadths. (e) Simulated x-ray pattern for the nematic phase obtained by combination of the form factor presented in (a) with the structure factor presented in (c). Despite the strong biaxial order no x-ray signal splitting is observed. (f) Simulated x-ray pattern for the nematic phase obtained by combination of the form factor presented in (b) with structure factor presented in (d). Despite the uniaxial order splitting of the x-ray signal is observed in the presence of Sm$C$-like fluctuations.Reuse & Permissions