Fluid fibres in true 3D ferroelectric liquids

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of stable, freely-suspended fluid fibres in a high-polarisation 3D ferroelectric liquid at room temperature, driven by unique orientational order and polar stabilization, with notable optical and electrical properties.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanism for stabilizing fluid fibres in ferroelectric liquids based on polar properties, distinct from traditional translational order-dependent fibres.

Findings

Fibres form with only orientational order, unlike other liquid crystal phases.

Fibres exhibit strong non-linear optical responses.

Fibres show electric field-driven instabilities.

Abstract

We demonstrate an exceptional ability of a high-polarisation 3D ferroelectric liquid to form freely-suspended fluid fibres at room temperature. Unlike fluid threads in modulated smectics and columnar phases, where translational order is a prerequisite for forming liquid fibres, recently discovered ferroelectric nematic forms fibres with solely orientational molecular order. Additional stabilisation mechanisms based on the polar nature of the mesophase are required for this. We propose a model for such a mechanism and show that these fibres demonstrate an exceptional non-linear optical response and exhibit electric field-driven instabilities.