Smectic a elastomers with uniform homeotropic orientation obtained by applying a biaxial mechanical field

The orientation behavior of a smectic A elastomer is investigated by applying a biaxial mechanical field to the elastomer in a swollen state. The network is composed of a siloxane-polymer backbone, a bi-fuctional cross-linker, and a monomer with a perfourinated tail. In this work, biaxial deformation is successfully achieved to macroscopically orient the smectic A phase in a uniform homeotropic fashion. We describe the orientation process in detail and discuss the microstructure of the smectic A phase organized in the monomer, the liner polymer, and the elastomer determined by using X-ray diffraction data.