EXPERIMENTAL-EVIDENCE FOR A HEXAGONAL BLUE PHASE

Experimental evidence for a Blue Phase of hexagonal symmetry is reported. In agreement with a theoretical prediction by Hornreich et al. , this new Blue Phase has been found in a short pitch cholesteric liquid crystal of positive dielectric anisotropy submitted to a large enough electric field. Its symmetry, compatible with crytal forms and with Bragg reflections, is either P6//122 or P6//222. The phase is three-dimensional in contradistinction with the theoretically considered two-dimensional models.