Discovery of a Novel Smectic-C Liquid Crystal Phase with Six Layer Periodicity

We report the discovery of a new smectic-C* liquid-crystal phase with six-layer periodicity by resonant x-ray diffraction. Upon cooling, the new phase appears between the SmC{sub {alpha}}* phase having a helical structure and the SmC{sub d4}* phase with four-layer periodicity. This SmC{sub d6}* phase was identified in two mixtures which have an unusual reversed SmC{sub d4}*-SmC* phase sequence. The SmC{sub d6}* phase shows a distorted clock structure. Three theoretical models have predicted the existence of a six-layer phase. However, our experimental findings are not consistent with the theories.