Wide range room temperature electroclinic liquid crystal mixture with large induced tilt and very small layer contraction

Optical polarizing microscopy, synchrotron X-ray scattering, and electro-optic studies in the SmA* phase of a formulated wide range room temperature liquid crystal mixture indicate a large electric field induced optical tilt up to 23.5 degrees along with a very small contraction of smectic layers. Applied field primarily lifts the zero-field degeneracy of the azimuthal order of the molecules in smectic layers resulting in small layer contraction. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.