Abstract
Detailed experimental results of a systematic investigation of the dynamics of the in-plane smectic layer reorientation in SmC * ferroelectric liquid crystals on application of different types of asymmetric electric fields are reported. The reversible reorientation of smectic layers is characterized as a function of field asymmetry, electric field amplitude, frequency, cell gap and temperature. On the basis of the observed behaviour we discuss a phenomenological interpretation of the smectic layer reorientation in terms of dominant influences - director switching, convection due to ionic motion and liquid crystal substrate interactions - which limit the rotation to the amount of twice the tilt angle.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages (from-to) | 775-782 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Liquid Crystals |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Publication status | Published - May 1998 |