Detection of chiral domains and linear electro-optical response in planar-aligned cells of an achiral rod-like ferro-electric nematic liquid crystal

Chiral domains of opposite chirality are observed surprisingly in a nematic phase of an achiral rod-like liquid crystalline mesogen that shows ferroelectric nematic and antiferroelectric smectic phases. The observations of chiral domains of opposite chirality are enabled by application of a weak electric field across a planar-aligned cell. However once domains of opposite chirality are created, these stay permanently even if the field is removed. The observed phenomenon is due to the symmetry breaking of achiral mesogens of rod-shaped molecules. These domains are similarly observed in the Nx phase. However for temperatures close or in the NF, the size of domains is reduced significantly below the wavelength of visible light. There is either a single domain with dipole moments parallel to the surface or domains antiparallel in the NF phase, not possible to determine in this experiment.

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