Homogeneous switching in antiferroelectric liquid crystal displays

Abstract

We use a very simple bookshelf model to describe the behaviour of antiferroelectric liquid crystals in an electric field. Starting from the energy expression of the LC, which comprises antiferroelectric coupling, coupling with the electric field and surface anchoring, we can derive the dynamic equations. We carry out numerical simulations in order to solve these equations in different cases. We consider the three different switching modes: switching from the alternating state to one of the uniform states, switching from a uniform state to the alternating state, and switching between the two uniform states.