The semi-phenomenological model of antiferroelectricity in chiral smectic liquid crystals - II. The phase transitions and phase diagrams

In the framework of the model of short pitch modes (SPM) developed for chir al smectics with inclined molecules, the phase transitions and diagrams in antiferroelectric systems are described. It is shown that the families of a ntiferro- and ferri-electric phases are controlled by a few physical parame ters such as the smectic correlation length and the chirality parameter. Th e sequences of antiferro- and ferri-electric states are explained as being dependent on the interactions between SPM and the conventional long pitch m ode (LPM), the ferrielectric states being described in terms of the obvious coexistence of LPM and several SPM.