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Abstract
We report measurements on the bistability of the electrooptic response of a commercially available material (CS2005) and an experimental liquid crystal material (CDRR8) based on an organosiloxane structure. Both materials have a first order transition to the SmC* phase. CS2005 gave the normal monostable behaviour with layers tilted with respect to the rubbing direction. However, the second material, CDRR8, exhibited true bistability and at the same time its smectic layers were found to lie perpendicularly to the rubbing direction. We were able to control the bistable behaviour of the CDRR8 material by means of layer rotation using asymmetrical triangular pulses. As expected the sample shows a monostable response each time the layers are rotated so that one of the two switched states approaches the rubbing direction.