Layer and director structure in surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal cells with non-planar boundary conditions

Abstract

High resolution X-ray scattering studies of thin smectic C* (SC) samples prepared between solid plates coated with obliquely evaporated silicon monoxide to favor surface director orientation tilted out of the surface plane, reveal a local layer structure which is dependent on the evaporation directions on the plates. Samples with the evaporation directions antiparallel exhibit uniformly tilted layers. Those with parallel evaporation directions exhibit a zig-zag defect free chevron structure of tilted layers.