Periodic splay Fréedericksz transitions in a ferroelectric nematic
Abstract Electric field-induced splay of molecular orientation, called the Fréedericksz transition, is a fundamental electro-optic phenomenon in nonpolar nematic liquid crystals. In a ferroelectric nematic NF with a spontaneous electric polarization $${{\bf{P}}}$$ P , the splay is suppressed since i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55827-9 |
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| _version_ | 1823861800799567872 |
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| author | Bijaya Basnet Sathyanarayana Paladugu Oleksandr Kurochkin Oleksandr Buluy Natalie Aryasova Vassili G. Nazarenko Sergij V. Shiyanovskii Oleg D. Lavrentovich |
| author_facet | Bijaya Basnet Sathyanarayana Paladugu Oleksandr Kurochkin Oleksandr Buluy Natalie Aryasova Vassili G. Nazarenko Sergij V. Shiyanovskii Oleg D. Lavrentovich |
| author_sort | Bijaya Basnet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Electric field-induced splay of molecular orientation, called the Fréedericksz transition, is a fundamental electro-optic phenomenon in nonpolar nematic liquid crystals. In a ferroelectric nematic NF with a spontaneous electric polarization $${{\bf{P}}}$$ P , the splay is suppressed since it produces bound electric charges. Here, we demonstrate that an alternating current (ac) electric field causes three patterns of NF polarization. At low voltages, $${{\bf{P}}}$$ P oscillates around the field-free orientation with no stationary deformations. As the voltage increases, the polarization acquires stationary distortions, first splay and twist in a stripe pattern and then splay and bend in a square lattice of +1 and -1 defects. In all patterns, $${{\bf{P}}}$$ P oscillates around the stationary orientations. The stationary bound charge is reduced by a geometrical “splay cancellation” mechanism that does not require free ions: the charge created by splay in one plane is reduced by splay of an opposite sign in the orthogonal plane. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4cd0a126039f407686ba2e020ab6ef44 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-4cd0a126039f407686ba2e020ab6ef442025-02-09T12:44:53ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-02-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-55827-9Periodic splay Fréedericksz transitions in a ferroelectric nematicBijaya Basnet0Sathyanarayana Paladugu1Oleksandr Kurochkin2Oleksandr Buluy3Natalie Aryasova4Vassili G. Nazarenko5Sergij V. Shiyanovskii6Oleg D. Lavrentovich7Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State UniversityAdvanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State UniversityInstitute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of UkraineInstitute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of UkraineInstitute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of UkraineInstitute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of UkraineAdvanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State UniversityAdvanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State UniversityAbstract Electric field-induced splay of molecular orientation, called the Fréedericksz transition, is a fundamental electro-optic phenomenon in nonpolar nematic liquid crystals. In a ferroelectric nematic NF with a spontaneous electric polarization $${{\bf{P}}}$$ P , the splay is suppressed since it produces bound electric charges. Here, we demonstrate that an alternating current (ac) electric field causes three patterns of NF polarization. At low voltages, $${{\bf{P}}}$$ P oscillates around the field-free orientation with no stationary deformations. As the voltage increases, the polarization acquires stationary distortions, first splay and twist in a stripe pattern and then splay and bend in a square lattice of +1 and -1 defects. In all patterns, $${{\bf{P}}}$$ P oscillates around the stationary orientations. The stationary bound charge is reduced by a geometrical “splay cancellation” mechanism that does not require free ions: the charge created by splay in one plane is reduced by splay of an opposite sign in the orthogonal plane.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55827-9 |
| spellingShingle | Bijaya Basnet Sathyanarayana Paladugu Oleksandr Kurochkin Oleksandr Buluy Natalie Aryasova Vassili G. Nazarenko Sergij V. Shiyanovskii Oleg D. Lavrentovich Periodic splay Fréedericksz transitions in a ferroelectric nematic Nature Communications |
| title | Periodic splay Fréedericksz transitions in a ferroelectric nematic |
| title_full | Periodic splay Fréedericksz transitions in a ferroelectric nematic |
| title_fullStr | Periodic splay Fréedericksz transitions in a ferroelectric nematic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Periodic splay Fréedericksz transitions in a ferroelectric nematic |
| title_short | Periodic splay Fréedericksz transitions in a ferroelectric nematic |
| title_sort | periodic splay freedericksz transitions in a ferroelectric nematic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-55827-9 |
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