Fast linear electro-optical switching properties of polymer-dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystals

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Abstract
A fast linear electro-optic effect is demonstrated in ferroelectric liquid crystal/polymer composites suitable for display applications. Both the ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) and the polymer matrix are oriented by the rubbing process which remarkably improves the electro-optic characteristics of the composites. Depending on the phase transition sequence and the pitch of the FLC, the size as well as the shape of the droplets vary in the polymer matrix. The associated relaxation dynamics can be understood within a simplified model which contains the essential features of the experimental data. The switching times are on the order of a hundred μs.