Geometrical Model of the Tetragonal BPX Blue Phase

Overview & Synopsis

Crystals of BP1 and BP2 blue phases exhibit different crystalline structures under sufficiently high electric field. When the dielectric anisotropy is positive, the same tetragonal phase, called BPX, has been observed when the field is applied, either along a two-fold axis of the BP1 phase, or along a four-fold axis of the BP2 phase. With the help of the geometrical models of cubic blue phases deduced from the analogy with the cubic lyotropic phases, we propose in this paper a geometrical model of the BPX phase and a mechanism for the transformations of BP1 and BP2 into BPX.