Electro-optical effects of uniform layer-tilted state in ferroelectric liquid crystals

Abstract

Experimental results on the electro-optical behavior of uniform layer-tilted ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) are reported for the first time. The special arrangement of the uniform layer-tilted state, with the spontaneous polarization parallel to the cell substrates, responds equally to either polarity of the electric field without a storage effect. Due to the presence of a small pretilt angle of the director of the FLC caused by rubbing alignment, the saturated light transmission through such a FLC cell between crossed polarizers shows a characteristic asymmetry with respect to different polarities of the field. The saturated light transmission and the angular position to null the asymmetry have been used to determine the cone angle and the pretilt angle of the FLC director, respectively. The switch-on time at 15 V is less than 23 μs for both polarities of the field. Field induced switch-off time is 34 μs.