Emergent ferroelectric and helielectric fluids

The research on ferroelectricity in polar fluids such as a ferroelectric nematic (NF) has been making waves in liquid crystal (LC) community. This is because their remarkable polarization characteristics and diverse physical phenomena, sparking great interest and excitement in the scientific community. Compared to typical NFLC molecules, we developed the straight rigid polar rod (BOE) incorporating a polar unit and a flexible linker, respectively, such as bicycloorthoester and an ester moiety, resulting in large dipole moment (> 9 D) and relatively large dipole angle (~20°). This unique molecule exhibiting thermodynamically stable NF and ferroelectric smectic phases. Interestingly, in spite of an achiral molecule, the helielectric state (heliconical ferroelectric nematic) emerge via spontaneous polarity and chirality symmetry breaking. In this talk, we quickly review of ferroelectric properties of BOE families.