A Phenomenological Theory of Nonlinear Dielectric Response in a Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal

Abstract

We have derived expressions for the nonlinear dielectric susceptibility of a ferroelectric liquid crystal and a uniaxial ferroelectric crystal on the basis of equations of motion. Our results are different from a formula proposed by Nakada [O. Nakada: J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 15 (1960) 2280], which was obtained from a tentative assumption. The temperature and frequency dependences of the third-order dielectric constant of a ferroelectric liquid crystal will be presented.