title: Effective conductivity due to continuous polarization reorientation in fluid ferroelectrics.
abstract: A smectic-A (SmA) liquid crystal phase of fluid layers with in-plane polarization P is shown to exhibit effective conductivity in the semiconducting range during electric-field-induced polarization reorientation, but becomes insulating once the polarization is aligned with the field. Such fluid ferroelectrics sandwiched between highly insulating layers enable electro-optic devices with long-term dc electrostatic control of polarization and optic axis orientation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
authors.forename: Yongqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Renfan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Korblova
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Maclennan
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Walba
authors.forename: Noel A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Clark