Eur. Phys. J. B 3, 73-82 (1998)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510050285

Polymorphism and chevron layer structure of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal studied by X-ray diffraction

¹ Laboratoire de Dynamique et Structure des Matériaux Moléculaires, Université de Lille 1, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France
² Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, avenue A. Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France

Corresponding author: ^a cluzeau@lip5rx.univ-lille1.fr

Received: 13 November 1996
Revised: 19 January 1997
Accepted: 30 January 1998
Published online: 15 May 1998

Abstract

We report X-ray diffraction experiments performed on an antiferroelectric compound exhibiting a very rich polymorphism (). The structural study of the unknown phases only allows us to exclude some phenomenological models. The use of oriented planar samples prepared between solid glass plates generate by cooling from the phase a chevron structure of tilted layers already well characterized for the phase. The extensive analysis of the evolution of the chevron structure through the numerous smectic-smectic phase transitions provides some original information in three distinct areas: fundamental data on the important physical parameters in the chevron structure formation, detection of the smectic-smectic phases transition by small change of the chevron structure, and information on the local molecular order induced by the alignment layer (interaction with a rubbed polymer).