Optic Effects of Smectic-Cholesteric Mixed Liquid-Crystals

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Abstract
Light transmission characteristics in optic effects of smectic-cholesteric mixed liquid-crystals are experimentally investigated. Cholesteric addition to a smectic liquid crystal changes greatly transmission characteristics in a cholesteric phase. Although a smectic liquid crystal alone is transparent, the mixed liquid crystals become opaque. However, this opaque state isconverted to the transparent state with applied fields. After the fields are removed, the transparent state is stored in case of then n-type mixture, e.g., BBBA:CN = 90:10 in weight, but returns to the original opaque state in case of thep-type mixture, e.g., C0B:CN = 90:10 in weight. In the smectic phase, the n-type mixture hardly responds to applied fields. but thep-type mixtureeasilyresponds. The response is dependent on a cell temperature: higher field is required in lower temperature. This temperature characteristic can be used for display application of liquid-crystal light valve.