On the biaxiality of smectic C and ferroelectric liquid crystals

Ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) were a major topic for research in the 1980s and 1990s, to which George Gray and his research family played a fundamental role in developing the field. The famous symbiotic relationship between the chemists at Hull University and device physicists at the Royal Si...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Liquid crystals 2015-06, Vol.42 (5-6), p.732-759
Main Author: Jones, J.C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
biaxial order parameters
biaxiality
displays
electric permittivities
ferroelectric liquid crystals
Ferroelectrics
Liquid crystal polymers
negative dielectric LC materials
Physics
refractive indices
smectic C
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) were a major topic for research in the 1980s and 1990s, to which George Gray and his research family played a fundamental role in developing the field. The famous symbiotic relationship between the chemists at Hull University and device physicists at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment (RSRE) continued throughout this period, providing the basis for the τV min mode of FLC operation. The principal of this mode relies on the dielectric biaxiality inherent to the smectic C and ferroelectric smectic C* liquid crystal phases. As with nematics before, new materials and device physics developed hand-in-hand, allowing materials to be formulated with addressing times of 12μs at voltages below 30 V. After reviewing the material physics behind these devices, new measurements of the biaxial refractive indices and permittivities are presented, from which the biaxial order parameter C is determined.
ISSN:0267-8292
1366-5855
DOI:10.1080/02678292.2015.1028492