Dynamic Responses of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals in the Surface-Stabilized Geometry I

Abstract

The dynamic response of surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals was studied on the basis of a continuum theory. In this work, polarization electric field was consistently introduced through Poisson's equation, including the polarization charge accompanied by an elastic deformation. An improved anchoring energy consistent with inclined smectic layers relative to the bounding plates is put forward. From numerically calculated results, the polarization current and the hysteresis curves are found to be crucially affected by the inherent chirality and the polarization electric field. Remarkably, it is shown that an increase of the inherent chirality or the negative dielectric anisotropy results in a doubly or a triply peaked polarization switching current under an alternating external field.