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Report on the XXIII Czech–Polish seminar:structural and ferroelectric phase transitions, May21–25, 2018, Kouty, Czech Republic

Paweł Perkowski

To cite this article: Paweł Perkowski (2018) Report on the XXIII Czech–Polish seminar: structuraland ferroelectric phase transitions, May 21–25, 2018, Kouty, Czech Republic, Liquid CrystalsToday, 27:3, 80-83, DOI: 10.1080/1358314X.2018.1525058

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/1358314X.2018.1525058

© 2018 The Author(s). Published by InformaUK Limited, trading as Taylor & FrancisGroup.

Published online: 24 Oct 2018.

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SEMINAR REPORT

Report on the XXIII Czech–Polish seminar: structural and ferroelectric phasetransitions, May 21–25, 2018, Kouty, Czech Republic

The Czech–Polish Seminar entitled ‘Structural andFerroelectric Phase Transitions’ has a long-standing tradi-tion. It has been organised for almost 40 years as a result ofa strong cooperation between the Institute of Physics of theCzech Academy of Sciences in Prague [1] and the Instituteof Molecular Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences inPoznań. The seminar is organised every two years, alternat-ing between Poland and the Czech Republic. The last semi-nar took place in Kouty about halfway between Prague andBrno in the centre of the Czech Republic. The single-sessionconference was organised at Hotel Luna located in a quietplace at a pond, surrounded by green forests. The 23rdSeminar started on the 21st and finished on the 25th ofMay 2018. The previous three seminars were organised inHucisko in 2016 (Poland) [2], Sezimovo Ústí in 2014 (CzechRepublic) [3] and Ustroń in 2012 (Poland) [4]. The confer-ence history is connected with a number of remarkablenames in the field of dielectrics and ferroelectrics [5–7]

The seminar was mainly devoted to polar effects insolid state crystals but traditionally there was also aninteresting session devoted to polar effects in softmatter. It was very motivating for people involvedin liquid crystal science to listen and discuss aboutproperties of solid state materials. The multidisciplin-ary nature of the topics was definitely an advantageof this seminar so that the meeting facilities werealways busy.

The Czech–Polish Seminar hosted around 110 parti-cipants from 14 countries. The biggest delegationsobviously arrived from the Czech Republic (45 partici-pants) and Poland (37). But there were also participantsfrom Germany (6), the USA (6), Austria (3), the RussianFederation (3), Switzerland (2) and Hungary (2). Oneresearcher per country arrived from Croatia, France,Ireland, Japan, Israel and Luxembourg. One can saythat the Czech–Polish Seminar was truly an interna-tional event (Photo 1).

The conference programme was broad anddiverse. The schedule included 54 oral presentationsof different lengths, from short 10-minute reports to40-minute plenary lectures. In addition, 59 posterswere presented and discussed during two postersessions.

The seminar was opened with an interesting guestlecture by P. Paruch entitled, ‘Nanoscale Studies of

Novel Functional Properties at Ferroelectric DomainWalls’. One could notice several interesting presenta-tions about liquid crystals in the seminar’s schedule.A. Emelyanenko presented a theory of transitionsbetween smectic, nematic and isotropic phases anddiscussed a molecular-statistical approach to thedescription of various smectic phases and transitionsbetween them. K. Merkel discussed the molecularorigin of various layer contractions at the SmA-SmCtransition. V. Novotná presented supramolecular self-assembly of liquid crystalline molecules that createnanotubes. A. Bubnov presented the self-assemblybehaviour of new photosensitive cinnamoyl-basedmonomers aimed for the use with smart molecularmaterials. P. Perkowski presented a contribution onthe difference in dielectric response of a pure enan-tiomer versus its racemic mixture, while D. Dardasdiscussed electro-optic and viscoelastic properties ofa ferroelectric liquid crystalline binary mixture. W.Piecek outlined a study of quartenphenylene-basedderivatives forming ferroelectric smectic phases ofthe de Vries-type and S. Różański discussed dielectricproperties of laterally fluorine-substituted bent-shaped liquid crystals. The influence of racemic mix-tures on the properties of a high tilted antiferroelec-tric liquid crystal W-1000 mixture was discussed by M.Żurowska, whereas J. Fitas presented physical andelectrooptical properties of two sets of newly synthe-tised ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures and S. Suwaintroduced new liquid crystal alignment technologiesfor VA LCD. Photo-induced structural transformationsin nematic liquid crystal droplets containing azoben-zene polymers were presented in a contribution by S.Shvetsov. D. Jukić discussed a theory of relaxationmodes of banana-shaped SmAPA, SmCAPA andSmCSPA phases, while M. Kurochkina presented struc-tural and electro-optic features of nonsymmetric azo-benzene-based bent-core ferroelectrics. In general,one can conclude that in accordance to the title ofthe seminar series, polar effects in liquid crystals,chirality and photosensitive properties of soft matterwere hot topics at this meeting.

Presentations on solid-state materials involved adiverse range of topics (Photo 2). P. Paruch and Y. Ivrydiscussed various aspects of domain structure in

LIQUID CRYSTALS TODAY2018, VOL. 27, NO. 3, 80–83https://doi.org/10.1080/1358314X.2018.1525058

© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricteduse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Photo 1. Group photo of all participants of the Czech–Polish Seminar 2018 (photo by Jan Pokorný).

Photo 2. Full lecture room at a morning session of the conference (photo by Jan Pokorný).

LIQUID CRYSTALS TODAY 81

prototypical ferroelectric materials Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 andBaTiO3. D. Nuzhnyy presented his observations on asoft-mode-driven phase transition in nanodomains ofrelaxor ferroelectrics and B. Dabrowski outlined therelation of tolerance factors and structural phase transi-tions in perovskites. An overview of skyrmions andantiskyrmions in crystals with axial symmetry wasgiven by I. Kézsmárki and M Guennou summarised thegeneral ideas on antiferroelectricity and related phasetransitions. F. Kadlec, S. Skiadopoulou and J. Vít dis-cussed electromagnons in multiferroic materials. W.Widdra presented new data obtained by inelastic elec-tron scattering, revealing characteristics of surface pho-nons in perovskites and I. Jankowska–Sumara discussedher high-pressure Raman experimental data of antifer-roelectrics. K. Roleder introduced Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 singlecrystals with a huge piezoresponse and J. Pokorný dis-cussed the specific behaviour of water layers at chargedsurface.

Conference presentations, after a strict reviewprocess, will be published as a special issue of thejournal Phase Transitions, by Taylor & Francis.

During the seminar, participants visited the castle of theSternberg family inČeský Šternberk (Photo 3). Amember ofthis family, George of Poděbrady (Jiří z Poděbrad) was aking of Bohemia in the 15th century. He was a leader of theHussites and the first king of amedieval European kingdomto adhere to a creed different from Roman Catholicism. Heis known for his idea and attempt to establish commonEuropean institutionswhich is considered the first historicalvision of European unity.

Participants of the seminar were very well takencare of in a convenient conference hotel, includinggood accommodation and meals. The organisersinvited participants to take part in a competition ofthe best at ‘who knows song titles, their authors andinterpreters’, led by Jan Pokorný. Every evening livemusic sessions were organised and the ConferenceDinner stimulated dance, but also further scientificdiscussion. The meeting was a great opportunity tomeet old friends, discuss new ideas, present novelresults and make new friends. We are looking for-ward to the next, the 24th seminar, which will beorganised in Poland in 2020.

Photo 3. Castle of the Sternberg family in Český Šternberk (photo by Jan Pokorný).

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References

[1] Petzelt J, Glogarová M. Czech research in ferroelectricity:fifty-years history and present. Ferroelectrics. 2010;375:1–18.

[2] Emelyanenko A. Structural and ferroelectric phase transi-tions, Hucisko, Poland, 16–20 May 2016. Liq Cryst Today.2016;25:85–87.

[3] Dierking I. Report on the XXI Czech–Polish seminar. LiqCryst Today. 2014;23:88–90.

[4] Piecek W. Structural and ferroelectric phase transitions, Telč,Czech Republic, 24–28 May 2010. Liq Cryst Today.2011;20:28–30.

[5] Andrzejewski B, Pawłowski A, Hilczer A, et al. Editorial.Phase Trans. 2016;89:643–644.

[6] Petzelt J, Janovec V, Erhart J, et al. Obituary: JAN FOUSEK(1930–2016). Ferroelectrics. 2016;505:1–3.

[7] Petzelt J, Fousek J. Obituary. Ferroelectrics. 2007;350:1–4.

Paweł PerkowskiFaculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Military

University of Technology, Warsaw, Polandpperkowski@wat.edu.pl

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