Studies of the Electroclinic Response and Structure of the Liquid Crystal W317

The new liquid crystal material W317 is studied. It exhibits an unusually large electroclinic effect with an abnormally low temperature dependence at low temperatures. The electric field dependence and temperature behavior of this electro-optic response are studied in depth using visible light polarimetry and X-ray diffraction. Dielectric measurements are made to determine the temperature dependences of the phenomenological free energy parameters A and c, and results are interpreted in terms of the temperature dependence of the electroclinic effect. W317 also exhibits three higher order phases which are identified through X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and microscopy. Finally, variations on the structure of W317 are made in order to both enhance the strong temperature independent electroclinic effect and to understand its origin.