Sonderforschungsbereich 481

We analyze the phenomenon of rotatoelectricity which is characteristic of cholesteric side-chain liquid single crystal elastomers. Using a linearized macroscopic continuum description and our previous work we show that if such a material is exposed to a static external electric field oriented parallel to the cholesteric helical axis, the director of the liquid crystalline phase will rotate around the helical axis. The material considered is assumed to be a perfect electric insulator. We propose an experiment in which the effect of rotatoelectricity should be directly observable and from which the ratio of the material parameters involved will be accessible.