Mechanical strains and electric fields applied to topologically imprinted elastomers

Abstract

We analyze and predict the behavior of a chirally imprinted elastomer under a mechanical strain and an electric field, applied along the helical axis. As the strain and/or field increases, the system is deformed from a conical or transverse imprinted state towards an ultimately nematic one. At a critical strain and/or field there is a first-order transition to a low imprinting efficiency state. This transition is accompanied by a discontinuous global rotation of the director toward the axis of the imprinted helix, measured by the cone angle, theta . We show that the threshold electric field required for switching this transition can be conveniently low, provided an appropriate prestrain is imposed. We suggest that these properties may give rise to a "chiral pump."