Theoretical model for layer rotations in smectic-A*liquid crystals subject to asymmetric electric fields

Abstract

Recently, observations of the rotation of smectic layers under certain experimental conditions have been reported in the literature. In this work, the mechanism of such rotations in chiral smectic-A* liquid crystals under the action of asymmetric, periodic electric fields is studied theoretically. The general conditions for layer rotations have been established using symmetry arguments, and a generalized dynamical theory of the chiral smectic-A* phase, coupling layer rotations and the electroclinic effect, has been developed. The theory is applied in the specific case when an asymmetric sawtooth electric field is applied over the system, and the dependence of the average angular velocity of the smectic layers on the relevant material constants of the liquid crystal and experimental control parameters is calculated. By rewriting the final equations into dimensionless form, it is demonstrated that the system exhibits a universal behavior, reducing the number of independent material constants and control parameters considerably.