IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-62684-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ferri- and ferro-electric switching in spontaneously chiral polar liquid crystals

Author

Listed:
  • Jordan Hobbs

    (University of Leeds)

  • Calum J. Gibb

    (University of Leeds)

  • Richard. J. Mandle

    (University of Leeds
    University of Leeds)

Abstract

The recent discovery of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking has demonstrated the possibility of discovering the exotic textures of ferromagnetic systems in liquid crystalline fluid ferro-electrics. We show that the polar smectic mesophase exhibited by the first molecule discovered to exhibit a spontaneously chiral ferroelectric nematic phase is also helical has a strongly varied textural morphology depending in its thermal history and phase ordering. Electro-optic studies demonstrate that the two spontaneously chiral phases exhibit field-induced phase transitions. For the nematic variant, this process is threshold-less and has no hysteresis, while for the smectic it has a clear threshold and shows hysteresis meaning this phase exhibits pseudo-ferrielectric switching, the first of its kind for ferroelectric nematic like phases. We show that helix formation can be both 1st and 2nd order, but when it is 1st it is accompanied by pre-transitional helix formation extending from the phase boundary into the preceding ferroelectric nematic phase.

Suggested Citation

  • Jordan Hobbs & Calum J. Gibb & Richard. J. Mandle, 2025. "Ferri- and ferro-electric switching in spontaneously chiral polar liquid crystals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-62684-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62684-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-62684-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-62684-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard J. Mandle & Nerea Sebastián & Josu Martinez-Perdiguero & Alenka Mertelj, 2021. "On the molecular origins of the ferroelectric splay nematic phase," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Bijaya Basnet & Mojtaba Rajabi & Hao Wang & Priyanka Kumari & Kamal Thapa & Sanjoy Paul & Maxim O. Lavrentovich & Oleg D. Lavrentovich, 2022. "Soliton walls paired by polar surface interactions in a ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Zhaocun Shen & Yutao Sang & Tianyu Wang & Jian Jiang & Yan Meng & Yuqian Jiang & Kou Okuro & Takuzo Aida & Minghua Liu, 2019. "Asymmetric catalysis mediated by a mirror symmetry-broken helical nanoribbon," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Zhengqian Fu & Xuefeng Chen & Zhenqin Li & Tengfei Hu & Linlin Zhang & Ping Lu & Shujun Zhang & Genshui Wang & Xianlin Dong & Fangfang Xu, 2020. "Unveiling the ferrielectric nature of PbZrO3-based antiferroelectric materials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-8, December.
    5. François Gu & Benjamin Guiselin & Nicolas Bain & Iker Zuriguel & Denis Bartolo, 2025. "Emergence of collective oscillations in massive human crowds," Nature, Nature, vol. 638(8049), pages 112-119, February.
    6. Calum J. Gibb & Jordan Hobbs & Diana I. Nikolova & Thomas Raistrick & Stuart R. Berrow & Alenka Mertelj & Natan Osterman & Nerea Sebastián & Helen F. Gleeson & Richard. J. Mandle, 2024. "Spontaneous symmetry breaking in polar fluids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Sithara P. Sreenilayam & Yuri P. Panarin & Jagdish K. Vij & Vitaly P. Panov & Anne Lehmann & Marco Poppe & Marko Prehm & Carsten Tschierske, 2016. "Spontaneous helix formation in non-chiral bent-core liquid crystals with fast linear electro-optic effect," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Calum J. Gibb & Jordan Hobbs & Diana I. Nikolova & Thomas Raistrick & Stuart R. Berrow & Alenka Mertelj & Natan Osterman & Nerea Sebastián & Helen F. Gleeson & Richard. J. Mandle, 2024. "Spontaneous symmetry breaking in polar fluids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Bijaya Basnet & Sathyanarayana Paladugu & Oleksandr Kurochkin & Oleksandr Buluy & Natalie Aryasova & Vassili G. Nazarenko & Sergij V. Shiyanovskii & Oleg D. Lavrentovich, 2025. "Periodic splay Fréedericksz transitions in a ferroelectric nematic," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Jidan Yang & Yu Zou & Wentao Tang & Jinxing Li & Mingjun Huang & Satoshi Aya, 2022. "Spontaneous electric-polarization topology in confined ferroelectric nematics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Juncong Liang & Fuwei Gan & Guoli Zhang & Chengshuo Shen & Huibin Qiu, 2025. "Halogen bond-modulated solid-state reordering and symmetry breaking of azahelicenes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Hiroya Nishikawa & Koki Sano & Fumito Araoka, 2022. "Anisotropic fluid with phototunable dielectric permittivity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Na Wang & Zhong Shen & Wang Luo & Hua-Kai Li & Ze-Jiang Xu & Chao Shi & Heng-Yun Ye & Shuai Dong & Le-Ping Miao, 2024. "Noncollinear ferroelectric and screw-type antiferroelectric phases in a metal-free hybrid molecular crystal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    7. Nengneng Luo & Li Ma & Gengguang Luo & Chao Xu & Lixiang Rao & Zhengu Chen & Zhenyong Cen & Qin Feng & Xiyong Chen & Fujita Toyohisa & Ye Zhu & Jiawang Hong & Jing-Feng Li & Shujun Zhang, 2023. "Well-defined double hysteresis loop in NaNbO3 antiferroelectrics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    8. Xinxin Zhang & Yu Zou & Minghui Deng & Xiang Huang & Fan Ye & Xiujuan Liu & Erxiang Xu & Yang Shen & Satoshi Aya & Mingjun Huang, 2025. "Liquid-matter relaxor ferroelectrics by design," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    9. Tengfei Hu & Zhengqian Fu & Xiaowei Liu & Linhai Li & Chenhong Xu & YongXin Zhou & Fei Cao & Jiake Xia & Xuefeng Chen & Genshui Wang & Fangfang Xu, 2024. "Giant enhancement and quick stabilization of capacitance in antiferroelectrics by phase transition engineering," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.
    10. Yongxiao Zhou & Tianfu Zhang & Liang Chen & Huifen Yu & Ruiyu Wang & Hao Zhang & Jie Wu & Shiqing Deng & He Qi & Chang Zhou & Jun Chen, 2025. "Design of antiferroelectric polarization configuration for ultrahigh capacitive energy storage via increasing entropy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-8, December.
    11. Priyanka Kumari & Bijaya Basnet & Hao Wang & Oleg D. Lavrentovich, 2023. "Ferroelectric nematic liquids with conics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    12. Jiawen Hu & Peng Wang & Liqiang He & Guanglong Ge & Jinjun Liu & Tengfei Hu & Fangfang Xu & Tao Zeng & Zhengqian Fu & Jiwei Zhai & Weiping Li & Zhongbin Pan, 2025. "Local heterogeneous dipolar structures drive gigantic capacitive energy storage in antiferroelectric ceramics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Yunting Guo & Bin Peng & Guangming Lu & Guohua Dong & Guannan Yang & Bohan Chen & Ruibin Qiu & Haixia Liu & Butong Zhang & Yufei Yao & Yanan Zhao & Suzhi Li & Xiangdong Ding & Jun Sun & Ming Liu, 2024. "Remarkable flexibility in freestanding single-crystalline antiferroelectric PbZrO3 membranes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    14. Maxim O. Lavrentovich & Priyanka Kumari & Oleg D. Lavrentovich, 2025. "Twist, splay, and uniform domains in ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    15. Marcell Tibor Máthé & Hiroya Nishikawa & Fumito Araoka & Antal Jákli & Péter Salamon, 2024. "Electrically activated ferroelectric nematic microrobots," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    16. Mao-Hua Zhang & Hui Ding & Sonja Egert & Changhao Zhao & Lorenzo Villa & Lovro Fulanović & Pedro B. Groszewicz & Gerd Buntkowsky & Hans-Joachim Kleebe & Karsten Albe & Andreas Klein & Jurij Koruza, 2023. "Tailoring high-energy storage NaNbO3-based materials from antiferroelectric to relaxor states," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    17. Ran Chen & Ahmad Hammoud & Paméla Aoun & Mayte A. Martínez-Aguirre & Nicolas Vanthuyne & Régina Maruchenko & Patrick Brocorens & Laurent Bouteiller & Matthieu Raynal, 2024. "Switchable supramolecular helices for asymmetric stereodivergent catalysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    18. Kiumars Aryana & John A. Tomko & Ran Gao & Eric R. Hoglund & Takanori Mimura & Sara Makarem & Alejandro Salanova & Md Shafkat Bin Hoque & Thomas W. Pfeifer & David H. Olson & Jeffrey L. Braun & Joyeet, 2022. "Observation of solid-state bidirectional thermal conductivity switching in antiferroelectric lead zirconate (PbZrO3)," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-62684-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.