Domains and domain switching in antiferroelectric liquid crystal displays

Abstract

Microscopic observation of antiferroelectric liquid crystal display test cells during switching clearly demonstrates the importance of moving domain boundaries in the switching process. When switching from a uniform bright state to the alternately dark state, the domains nucleate at the ITO border of the pixels and at the spacers. The domains always appear in the form of‘propagating fingers'. We have used our analytical model for the antiferroelectric liquid crystal display to describe the propagation of the domain boundaries. Numerical solution of the differential equations yields the field dependence of the velocity of the domain boundaries. We studied the different energy contributions inside the domain boundaries, as well as the electric field. Inside a domain boundary, there is a component of the electric field pointing to the alternately ordered domain.

Key Words:

• antiferroelectric liquid crystals
• domains