Simple Molecular Theory of the Smectic<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mi>C</mml:mi></mml:math>Phase

A physical picture of the smectic $C$ phase is proposed in which the molecules rotate freely about their long axes in the smectic $A$ phase and this rotation is frozen out in the smectic $C$ phase. This picture is in contrast with the accepted view that the long axis of the molecules is normal to the smectic planes in the smectic $A$ phase and tilted in the smectic $C$ phase. A microscopic theory of this phase transition is constructed using the dipole-dipole interaction of the permanent molecular dipole moments. Three ordered phases are found, one with the physical properties of the smectic $C$ phase (tilted director, optically biaxial, second-order smectic-$A$-smectic-$C$ phase transition). The second-ordered phase is a two-dimensional ferroelectric and the third, low-temperature ordered phase is both tilted and ferroelectric.

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