New liquid crystalline materials for photonic applications

The mesogenic and optical properties of few families of nematic liquid crystals with low, medium and high birefringence as well as high tilted chiral anticlinic(antiferroelectric)smectics recently developed have been shortly characterized and reviewed. They are: alkyl 4-trans-(4-trans-alkylcyclohexyl)cyclohexyl carbonates being liquid crystals with ordinary index nolower than silica glass in broad temperature range, high birefringence two ring 4'-alkyl- and 4'-alkoxy-4'-isothiocyanatotolanes and three ring 4'-(4-alkyl)phenyl-, 4'-(trans-4-alkyl)cyclohexyl- or 4-(4'-trans-alkyl)cyclohexylethyl-4-isothiocyanatotolanes unsubstituted or laterally substituted by fluorine or chlorine atoms, (S)1-methylheptyloxyphenyl 4-(perfluoroalkanoyloxyalkoxy)biphenylates and(S)1-methylheptyloxybiphenylyl-4-yl 4-(perfluoroalkanoyloxyalkoxy)benzoates having the broad temperature range of antiferroelectric phase. The examples of mixtures with low n(o) and Deltan, high Deltan as well as orthoconic antiferroelectric mixtures are given.