Investigations of the structure of a cholesteric phase with a temperature induced helix inversion and of the succeeding S*C phase in thin liquid crystal cells

Abstract

Investigations of 4-[(S, S)-2, 3 epoxyhexyloxy]-phenyl-4-(decyloxy)-benzoate by polarizing microscopy, the Cano-Grandjean method, optical rotation dispersion and UV-VIS spectroscopy reveal a cholesteric phase with temperature induced reversal of the helical twist. Switching time experiments in the S*C phase show that the intrinsic helix can be unwound reversibly and irreveribly by application of electric fields of different strengths.