Fig. 3: Electric field switching of 360o DW pairs.
From: Soliton walls paired by polar surface interactions in a ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal
a–d POM textures of topologically trivial S-pair that are smoothly realigned into a uniform state by the electric field of an appropriate polarity. e An opposite field polarity tilts P in two wide domains, but does not cause a complete reorientation, contrary to the case of the narrow domain in (d). f Topological scheme of the S-pair shown in (a). P rotates CW in the left DW and CCW in the right DW, thus Q = 0. g Topological scheme of the S-pair shown in (c). P in the central narrow domain could rotate only CCW as the field increases. h, i POM textures (with an added waveplate) of a topologically stable 360o W-pair of DWs, Q = 1; increase of the electric field could cause both CW and CCW rotations of P within the same DW pair, as schematized in (j). Cell thickness 4.7 µm in all textures.
