Abstract
We demonstrate that a paraelectric (non-ferroelectric) polydomain nematic elastomer (I-PNE) exhibits a finite strain reaching 35% as well as a polydomain-to-monodomain transition (PMT) at an electric-field strength of 25 MV/m. The maximum electrical strain observed is larger than the reported values for the ferroelecric chiral smectic elastomers. The I-PNE was made by cross-linking the mesogens in the high-temperature isotropic state and then by cooling the elastomer to the temperatures in the nematic state. The pronounced E-field responsivity of the I-PNE reflects the softness regarding the director rotation specific to the isotropic-genesis polydomains.
