{"record":{"author":{"account_ref":null,"orcid":null},"builds_on":[],"content_schema":"pubphys.content.revision/1","content_sha256":"d62db04e19d9b7c51e71ab46e852306c17354e68444723ad9be17f8f3157e438","created":"2026-10-15T23:43:22Z","files":[],"origin":{"assisted_by":[],"kind":"seed"},"parents":["8723e0861f299d62d746e5e6e72a88b7b6f5a6fdab9104e2c1827017fbe9e3d1","ce59fb6cd812fc05906d0c60a71c75ea22bc686bcf38e7c3ef7010834d98ee7b"],"salt":"2d66aaf8fe3876439c8bdfe0ff44bd0d21d189810f5c0b87a1c9252e5c9eb549","schema":"pubphys.record/2","site":"pubphys.com","target":null,"type":"revision"},"content":{"answer_type":"mechanism","assisted_by":[],"external_id":"bio.lc-defects.ferroelectric-nematic-origin","kind":"phenomenon","literature_status":"open","n":"2","parents":[],"plain":"Some recently made liquid crystals line up with their electric dipoles all pointing the same way, which makes the fluid strongly polar, like a liquid ferroelectric. Which molecular features cause this is not understood.","posed_since":"","precise":"Materials such as RM734 and DIO form a ferroelectric nematic phase $N_F$ with spontaneous polarization of about $2 \\times 10^{4}\\,\\mathrm{statC}/\\mathrm{cm}^{2}$; in DIO it is preceded by an antiferroelectric modulated phase ($\\mathrm{SmZ}_A$). Determine the molecular interactions (large longitudinal dipole of order $10^{-17}\\,\\mathrm{statC}\\,\\mathrm{cm}$, charge distribution along the molecule, steric shape) responsible for polar order, and give a criterion that predicts which molecular structures produce $N_F$ and the intermediate phase.","problem_ref":"8723e0861f299d62d746e5e6e72a88b7b6f5a6fdab9104e2c1827017fbe9e3d1","references":"","settled_by":"A molecular theory or simulation that predicts the presence or absence of $N_{\\mathrm{F}}$ and its transition temperatures for a series of synthesized compounds before measurement.","status_note":"Landau-type and simulation models reproduce polar order for strongly dipolar molecules, but no predictive molecular criterion exists as of 2026.","title":"Molecular origin of the ferroelectric nematic phase","topic_ref":null},"attested":{"attestation":{"batch":null,"client_id":null,"id_token_sha256":null,"kind":"platform"},"record_hash":"411dc57fc2d841d7de661fe50d93af7b7376947cf84bbccce36e3e1c96a385eb","schema":"pubphys.attested/1"},"envelope":{"attested_hash":"633d77389908ea80ed8d34cd8f484ddbd07fe1799e846c6e00547aa8a14da0ac","platform_signature":{"key_id":"c6afc19b31429869751f06879c75cd64ea92654423d15b44be775bf1310a60da","sig":"iS4hSqeEVG-A37AvZnqklJrIn01cKkeJ5baqCmBZ_WfDl0MYsC-tfHWbQupPbetyGzRi5ZUlUaLbxlFCFChoBQ"},"schema":"pubphys.envelope/1"},"record_hash":"411dc57fc2d841d7de661fe50d93af7b7376947cf84bbccce36e3e1c96a385eb","leaf_index":2590}