Electric field-induced transition from the twist grain boundary TGBA phase to the tilted smectic SmC* phase

The behavior of a twist grain boundary (TGB) phase under the influence of an electric field is studied. The TGBA modification of the investigated compound (14P1M7) shows a shift of the wavelength of selective reflection, a stabilization of the filament texture with respect to the Grandjean texture, and a transition from the TGBA to the SmC* phase due to the influence of external fields. The phase diagram in the (electric field, temperature) plane, the electrooptic response of different field-induced SmC* textures, and the dynamic behavior are studied in detail.