The mechanism of ac stabilization in ferroelectric liquid‐crystal‐filled cells

The use of ac stabilization in ferroelectric liquid‐crystal (FLC) devices is commonplace: It enhances the bistability and increases the extinction angles seen in a cell. The mechanism involved in this process is investigated here. Examining the optic tensor profile across an ac‐stabilized FLC layer has revealed that it is very similar to that present under a forward bias dc field. Comparing the dc/dipole and ac/dielectric interaction energies shows conclusively the presence of biaxiality in the dielectric tensor. This biaxiality is measured through the comparison of the ac and dc electric energy densities in a cell.

[1]  S. Kobayashi,et al.  Electrooptic Bistability of a Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Device Prepared Using Polyimide Langmuir-Blodgett Orientation Films , 1988 .

[2]  H. Takezoe,et al.  Structure of Twisted States in Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals Studied by Microspectrophotometry and Numerical Calculations , 1988 .

[3]  R. Meyer.  Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals; A Review , 1977 .

[4]  Characterization of reorientation of a thin layer of ferroelectric liquid‐crystal material under an applied field by excitation of optical modes , 1989 .

[5]  S. Matsuo,et al.  Effect of Hydrogen Dilution on Structure of a-Si:H Prepared by Substrate Impedance Tuning Technique , 1987 .

[6]  Hideo Takezoe,et al.  Two Kinds of Switching Processes in Surface Stabilized Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals , 1987 .

[7]  M. Handschy,et al.  Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Electro-Optics Using the Surface Stabilized Structure , 1983 .

[8]  D. W. Berreman,et al.  Bragg Reflection of Light from Single-Domain Cholesteric Liquid-Crystal Films , 1970 .

[9]  John Roy Sambles,et al.  Scattering matrix method for propagation of radiation in stratified media: attenuated total reflection studies of liquid crystals , 1988 .

[10]  Determination of the director alignment in a ferroelectric liquid crystal device by observation of optical modes , 1989 .

[11]  Smith,et al.  "Chevron" local layer structure in surface-stabilized ferroelectric smectic-C cells. , 1987, Physical review letters.

[12]  N. Clark,et al.  Submicrosecond bistable electro‐optic switching in liquid crystals , 1980 .

[13]  John Roy Sambles,et al.  Guided modes and surface plasmon-polaritons observed with a nematic liquid crystal using attenuated total reflection , 1987 .