Dielectric properties of antiferroelectric liquid crystals composed of banana-like molecules

Abstract

The dielectric properties of an antiferroelectric B2 phase representing a homolog (n=14) from a series of 4-chloro-1,3-phenylene-bis[4-(4-n-alkylphenyl)aminobenzoates] with banana-like molecules were studied. The temperature dependence of the dielectric relaxation time was measured, and the corresponding activation energy was determined. The kinetics of the dielectric permittivity was studied in the course of the polarization vector variation under the action of a low-slope triangular bias voltage in the entire temperature range of existence of the B2 phase. Dependence of the dielectric permittivity on the electric field strength (bias voltage) is determined by the presence of two polar subsystems forming the antiferroelectric B2 phase.