Transient Light-Scattering State in a Glassy Ferroelectric Nematic Liquid Crystal

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/undergraduate_honors_theses/rb68xd301

Abstract

Ferroelectric nematic phase (N_F) is a recently discovered fluid state that occurs at temperature below conventional nematic state. Such a state has been expected since 1916 when predicted first by Max Born, but its existence has only been demonstrated by experiments in a synthesized material RM734 in 2020. The macroscopic polarization and the three-dimensional homogenous fluidity of such a state promise it novel electric-optical responses. To understand this new phase further, we doped RM734 with a strong red dye (DR1) and characterized this mixture. During the characterization of the mixture, a transient light-scattering state was observed in this mixture at room temperature after quenching. This unique electric-optic response was first seen in this NF phase and a detailed study on its dynamics is done.

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