Physics

Bent molecular geometry

Symmetry (geometry)

Mathematics

Chiral symmetry breaking

Crystallography

Chirality (physics)

Spontaneous symmetry breaking

Liquid crystal

Chemical physics

Composite material

Symmetry breaking

Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model

Chemistry

Mirror symmetry

Materials science

Geometry

Condensed matter physics

Twist

Quantum mechanics

Optoelectronics

Liquid Crystals

In the recent two decades liquid crystal science has contributed significantly to the understanding of mirror symmetry breaking and spontaneous emergence of chirality in fluids. This account tries to summarise the current state of understanding of mirror symmetry breaking in the liquid and liquid crystalline mesophases, ranging from isotropic liquids, via cubic, columnar and tetragonal SmQ phases of polycatenar compounds, the twist bend nematic phases of bent dimesogens to the heliconical and conglomerate type smectic phases of bent-core mesogens. Especially, the importance of dynamic chirality synchronisation of molecular conformers, cooperativity, helical superstructures, layer chirality, network formation, as well as chiral and achiral surface effects is discussed. At the end the transition from local to absolute symmetry breaking, chirality amplification and the relevance for the emergence of uniform chirality in prebiotic fluids and biosystems are considered.

Mirror symmetry breaking in liquids and liquid crystals