Field control of the surface electroclinic effect in chiral smectic-A liquid crystals.
The surface electroclinic effect, which causes an azimuthal deviation of the layer normal from the surface rubbing direction in cells of chiral smectic- A liquid crystals, can be eliminated (and even reversed) by applying an electric field during cooling from the isotropic phase. The observed dependence of layer orientation on field strength leads to a model in which the surface electroclinic tilt results from an effective surface electric field. The experiements suggest a general method for controlling the azimuthal layer alignment of chiral smectic cells.
Maclennan
Joseph E
JE
Department of Physics, and Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Muller
David
D
Shao
Ren-Fan
RF
Coleman
David
D
Dyer
Daniel J
DJ
Walba
David M
DM
Clark
Noel A
NA