A study of the electro-optical response of ferroelectric smectic C* mixtures

Abstract

We have studied the electro-optic response of thin and thick cells containing commercial ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures. A simple model, analogous to the model recently suggested by Dahl, Lagerwall, and Skarp for the ferroelectric reversal current describes well the experimental optical switching including the observed oscillatory behavior of the optical response in thick cells. We critically checked the model by comparing measurements on the same cells using other methods such as the polarization reversal current and the optical tilt. The modeling of the optical response may yield valuable information on the dynamics of the molecules.