Anomalously high dielectric strength and low frequency dielectric relaxation of a bent-core liquid crystal with a large kink angle

Abstract

We investigated the dielectric dispersion property of a bent-core liquid crystal (BLC) with a large kink angle in the frequency range of 1.0 Hz–5.5 MHz in a planar aligned cell. Single dielectric dispersion was observed in the smectic A, nematic, and isotropic phase of the planar aligned sample. The dielectric strengths, relaxation frequencies, distribution parameters, and dc conductivity were measured as a function of temperature. The dielectric strength of the observed relaxation mode was anomalously high (∼70), whereas the relaxation frequency was low at ∼500 Hz. The relaxation mode observed in the planar aligned cell was attributed to the fluctuations in the polarization direction due to the cooperative motion of the molecules.