Light-Scattering Study of Two-Dimensional Molecular-Orientation Fluctuations in a Freely Suspended Ferroelectric Liquid-Crystal Film

Abstract

The dispersion relations for molecular-orientation fluctuations in a freely suspended ferroelectric smectic-$C$ liquid-crystal film have been determined by inelastic light scattering. The smectic-$C$ film geometry appears to be ideal for the experimental study of the space-time behavior of a two-dimensional orientational field.