On the Chevron Structure in Compressible SmC^* Phases

Abstract

Some numerical solutions corresponding to the chevron layer structure in compressible SmC^* phases are obtained in terms of the torque balance equations on the basis of a phenomenological elastic free energy including the layer compression energy as well as the c-director deformation energy. Similar to the previously derived analytical solution (M. Nakagawa: Mol. Cryst. & Liq. Cryst. 174 (1989) 65), a soliton-like solution is found to exist as an equilibrium state in SmC^* phase. In addition the electric field effect on the layer structure and the c-director configuration in the chevrons is presented taking account of the polarization electric field induced by the polarization charge.