Liquid crystal phases of dipolar discotic particles

Abstract

Fluids of dipolar oblate ellipsoids of revolution are investigated in detail employing molecular dynamics simulations. For aspect ratios (height-to-breadth) between \ensuremath{\sim}1.2 and \ensuremath{\sim}3, it is shown that these systems may form two liquid crystal phases. These are a ferroelectric phase which is stable at higher temperatures and an antiferroelectric columnar phase which is stable at lower temperatures. A partial phase diagram is given and the important structural features of these phases are determined and discussed.