We have discovered a new form of Fréedericksz transition in which uniform splay distortion is replaced by a complex periodic twist-splay pattern having a lower critical field than that for uniform splay. Experimental evidence is presented along with an exact calculation of both the critical field and the initial form of the distortion as a function of the ratio of the splay and twist elastic constants.

• Received 18 April 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.55.718