Spontaneous electric-polarization topology in confined ferroelectric nematics

Jidan Yang, Yu Zou, Wentao Tang, Jinxing Li, Mingjun Huang () and Satoshi Aya ()
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Jidan Yang: South China University of Technology
Yu Zou: South China University of Technology
Wentao Tang: South China University of Technology
Jinxing Li: South China University of Technology
Mingjun Huang: South China University of Technology
Satoshi Aya: South China University of Technology

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Topological textures have fascinated people in different areas of physics and technologies. However, the observations are limited in magnetic and solid-state ferroelectric systems. Ferroelectric nematic is the first liquid-state ferroelectric that would carry many possibilities of spatially-distributed polarization fields. Contrary to traditional magnetic or crystalline systems, anisotropic liquid crystal interactions can compete with the polarization counterparts, thereby setting a challenge in understating their interplays and the resultant topologies. Here, we discover chiral polarization meron-like structures, which appear during the emergence and growth of quasi-2D ferroelectric nematic domains. The chirality can emerge spontaneously in polar textures and can be additionally biased by introducing chiral dopants. Such micrometre-scale polarization textures are the modified electric variants of the magnetic merons. Both experimental and an extended mean-field modelling reveal that the polarization strength plays a dedicated role in determining polarization topology, providing a guide for exploring diverse polar textures in strongly-polarized liquid crystals.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35443-7

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