Dynamic orientation structures of layer-tilted surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal cells

Abstract

The dynamic orientation structures of layer-tilted surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLC) under applied field are analyzed with a non-uniform switching model based on a one-dimensional elastic-continuum free-energy theory in which the elastic-distortion, surface-interaction and electrostatic energies, constant electric-displacement and non- uniform permittivity are taken into account. The effect of alignment layers on the electrostatic potential is also included through appropriate boundary conditions. It is found that there exists a spatially varying depolarization field along the FLC layer, which tends to de-stabilize the bistability of the cell, and has intensity increasing monotonically with the spon­taneous polarization density of the FLC medium, but decreasing with smaller thickness and higher conductivity of the alignment layers. Results of the director and electric field distributions along the cell, and the optical transmissions are presented for different material constants, surface-anchoring strengths and applied voltage conditions. © 1991 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.