Optic mode determination of the relaxed state configuration in a ferroelectric liquid crystal cell

Abstract Here the method of propagation of optic modes to examine the alignment in a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer is fully discussed. A sample geometry which allows the excitation of optic modes in a ferroelectric liquid crystal cell is presented and the data obtained in terms of reflectivity. The data are analysed by modelling the expected reflectivity from such a cell for a selection of proposed models for the optic tensor configuration. Models where the smectic layering lies perpendicular to the cell surfaces, or bends slowly across a cell are seen to be incorrect. It is found that a discontinuity in the smectic layering in the middle of the cell must be included to model the data well. This is consistent with the chevron structure seen in X-ray scattering work, and leads to an optic tensor alignment which is largely uniform across the ferroelectric layer. The relation between this and observation of conventional ferroelectric cells is discussed.