Modulated phases in thin ferroelectric liquid-crystal films

We discuss modulated phases that can occur in thin liquid-crystal films composed of tilted, chiral molecules. While the phase diagram depends on all orders of a Landau expansion we find that either a striped phase of parallel defect walls or a lattice of hexagonal unit cells containing disclinations and bounded by intersecting walls can occur. The striped phase can occur with either a positive or negative bend elastic constant depending on the underlying microscopic parameters. The transition into the modulated phase is, in general, continuous with infinite defect separation at the transition.