Analysis and stability of bent-core liquid crystal fibers (Q449269)

The paper develops the Bailey-Gartland-Jakli (BGJ) analysis [Phys. Rev. E, 75, 031701 (2007)], which explains how stable fibers form based on the distinctive elastic (molecular packing) and electrostatic properties of bent-core liquid crystals. The new model includes energy terms for a smectic layer formation so as to allow for more general cross-section (not only circular), fields (not only cylindrically constant), and smectic layer structures. The more general (non-radial) setting allows one to study the stability of the circular equilibrium configurations found in the BGJ analysis relative to non-radial variations. The BGJ analysis proposes that fiber formation is a consequence of the material having a nonzero out-of-layer spontaneous polarization. The free energy consists of three components (elastic, induced electric and component due to polar splay), where the elastic contribution to the energy is small relative of the other two. At the same time, this paper describes the contributions of elastic energy (measured by layer strain, compression and polar divergence), electric self-interaction and surface tension. The contribution of each of these components is formulated by adding the Chen-Lubensky energy for the formation of smectic layers to the non-radial version of the energy developed in the BGJ analysis. As a result, it is shown that although the elastic energy contribution is small, it is stiff. After an explicit description of the energy and all admissible states near radial configurations, the local minimizers to the radial energy are found and analyzed. Then, it is proved that the radial local minimizers are equilibria for the energy relative to general variations and the second variation for the energy is calculated at these states. Based on these estimates, there are given sufficient conditions on the physical parameters to ensure stability (and instability) of these equilibria relative to arbitrary variations. The obtained results are illustrated in relation to radial equlibria. By calculating the general second variation of the free energy at circular (radially symmetric) equilibria using the physical parameters from the BGJ analysis, the authors prove that for parameters corresponding to higher temperatures the circular equilibria are stable with respect to general perturbations, and for parameters corresponding to low temperatures. The circular fibers are unstable that is consistent with the experiment.