Low-Frequency Electric Field Treatment of Twisted Smectic C Liquid Crystals and Their Electrooptic Effects

• Published in: Ferroelectrics Vol. 313; no. 1; pp. 55 - 62
• Main Authors: MITANI, MAKOTO, KURATA, YUYA, TAKAKURA, KAZUNORI, TAKAHASHI, N. SHINICHI
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2004; Taylor and Francis
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; display; Domain structure; hysteresis; Exact sciences and technology; Ferroelectric liquid crystal; Ferroelectricity and antiferroelectricity; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; phase transition; Physics; Polarization; Smectic crystals; Phase transformations; Ferroelectric liquid crystal; 64.70.M; Ferroelectric domain; display; Ferroelectric liquid crystals; Low field; Liquid crystals; Defects; Electric field effects; Electro-optical effects; 42.79.K; phase transition 78.20.Jq

We have examined applying low-frequency electric field to the liquid crystal cell at the phase transition temperature from nematic to smectic. The cell treated by applying 10 Hz, ±5 V voltage for 3 minutes reduced zig-zag defects and obtained a well-aligned mono-domain smectic C* phase. It was diffi...