Electroclinic and electromechanic effects of chiral smectic A elastomer composed of cholesteryl ester

Abstract

Optical and mechanical responses to electric stimulation in a side-chain smectic A elastomer composed of a chiral mesogen are investigated. An electric-field-induced molecular tilt, caused by the electroclinic effect, is optically measured in the chiral smectic A phase. In addition, shear deformation of the elastomer is also induced by the electric field, while the tilt angle of the sheared elastomer, defined as the angle between the edge of the elastomer film and the direction of the layer normal, is smaller than the molecular tilt angle estimated by optical measurement.