Optical-Rotatory Power and Linear Electro-optic Effect in Nematic Liquid Crystals of p-Azoxyanisole

Observations have been made on nematic liquid p-azoxyanisole in a magnetic field. The liquid is found to have optical-rotatory power and to show a linear electro-optic effect. Both are dependent on the direction of observation. A detailed examination of the symmetry elements of the experiments leads to a model in which all effects are traced back to the properties of a single molecule. It is concluded that the nematic liquid lacks a center of symmetry and is, in this way, similar to the polar crystal classes in solids.