The molecular alignment in smectic phases with hexagonal ordering has been studied by observing surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal cells of 8SI * and HxOBAMBC under an optical polarizing microscope. There findings are: (1) Continuous degeneracy in tilt direction is lifted and is replaced by the discrete one specified by azimuthal angles φ=0, ±π/3, ±2 π/3 and π. (2) One of the sides of hexagon is parallel (S J * ) or perpendicular (S G * ) to the bounding surfaces, so that the most stable molecular orientation is parallel to the cell surface in every phase. (3) The more the hexagonal ordering develops, the less stable the twisted states become.
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Uemura et al. (1985) studied this question.
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