Electric field‐induced birefringence,optical rotatory power and conoscopic measurements of a chiral antiferroelectric smectic liquid crystal

Using a photoelastic modulator‐based novel set‐up, the electric field‐induced in‐plane birefringence and the optical rotatory power (ORP) were measured of an antiferroelectric liquid crystalline compound (12OF1M7) in its various phases using 30 µm homeotropic cells. Some specific signatures of the in‐plane birefringence and of the ORP for the various phases are being established. A relatively small threshold field is needed for the unwinding process of the antiferroelectric phase with a unit cell of four layers SmC_A*(1/2)] compared with that for two layers SmC_A*(0)]. On application of the electric field on the high temperature side of the SmC_A*(1/2) phase (80.1–81.5°C), a field‐induced phase transition is shown to occur directly to the SmC* phase, whereas on the lower temperature side (79.4–80.1°C) the transition takes place to SmC* via the SmC_A*(1/3) phase. The in‐plane birefringence exhibits a critical power law dependence for the SmC*–SmA transition. The ORP changes sign within the temperature range of the phase with a unit cell of three layers, reflecting a change in the handedness during this phase. Using tilted conoscopy, the results for the biaxiality and the apparent tilt angle for a smectic liquid crystal with a tilt angle greater than 18° in the ferroelectric phase are reported. The biaxiality implies the difference in the refractive indices between the two minor axes of the refractive index ellipsoid. The optical transmittance at visible and IR wavelengths for free‐standing films reveal characteristic reflection bands for these phases. The modulated structures of the reflected bands appear just above the SmC_A* phase and below SmC_A*(1/3); these are possibly due to an easy deformation of the phase by the surfaces.