Ferroelectric Response and Induced Biaxiality in the Nematic Phase of a Bent-Core Mesogen

The still undiscovered fluid ferroelectric nematic phase is expected to exhibit amuch faster and easier response to an external electric field compared toconventional ferroelectric smectic liquid crystals; therefore, the discovery ofsuch a phase could open new avenues in electro-optic device technology.Here, experimental evidence of a ferroelectric response to a switching electricfield in a low molarmass nematic liquid crystal is reported and connected withfield-induced biaxiality. The fluid is made of bent-core polar molecules and isnematic over a range of 120 -C. Combining repolarization currentmeasurements, electro-optical characterizations, X-ray diffraction andcomputer simulations, ferroelectric switching is demonstrated and it isconcluded that the response is due to field-induced reorganization of polarcybotactic groups within the nematic phase. This work represents significantprogress toward the realization of ferroelectric