Polarized infrared spectroscopic study on the orientation of the molecules in the smectic-C* phase of a ferroelectric liquid crystal with a naphthalene ring: alternative theory for the analysis of polarization-angle-dependent intensity changes.

Abstract

A theory to explain the polarization-angle dependence of polarized infrared spectra of a ferroelectric liquid crystal in the surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal state is proposed. It describes the relationship between the intensity of the absorption bands and the polarization angle of the infrared radiation. Using this theory the polarization-angle dependence of the infrared band intensities was analyzed for a ferroelectric liquid crystal with a naphthalene ring and two phenyl rings with a stacked layer structure in the smectic-C* phase. The polarization-angle-dependent spectra were measured at 137 degrees C under external dc electric fields of +40 and -40 V to investigate the orientation of the molecules. Plots of the infrared absorbance versus polarization angle for representative bands were subjected to a curve fitting procedure by a least squares method. From the curves obtained the orientation of the transition dipole moments with respect to the molecular long axis and the orientation of the molecular long axis with respect to the rubbing direction of the cell were estimated based upon the suggested theory. The polarization-angle-dependent infrared spectra obtained were also analyzed by two-dimensional (2D) correlation spectroscopy. The 2D correlation analysis clearly detects a slight phase difference in the polarization-angle dependence which is hardly recognized in ordinary plots of the intensity changes in the infrared bands. The 2D correlation analysis allows us to separate asymmetric and symmetric stretching bands due to the chiral methyl group from those arising from other methyl groups in the alkyl chains.