Stroboscopic microscopy of fast electro-optic switching in ferroelectric smectic C liquid crystals
- 1 July 1982
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters
- Vol. 41 (1) , 39-41
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.93314
Abstract
We have characterized the process that yields high-speed, bistable, electro-optic switching in the surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal geometry, at intermediate electric fields. Switching proceeds by a continuous reversal of ferroelectric polarization in regions away from the surfaces of the sample, followed by the nucleation and growth of domains of reversed polarization in the remaining surface layers. A model involving bulk distortion+electrostatic+surface free energy successfully accounts for the variation of the switching process with changes in applied electric field.Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Tempearture Dependence of Tilt, Pitch and Polarization in Ferroelectric Liquid crystalsMolecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 1981
- Macroscopic Orientation Patterns in Smectic-FilmsPhysical Review Letters, 1980
- Submicrosecond bistable electro-optic switching in liquid crystalsApplied Physics Letters, 1980