title: Nanosecond electro-optic switching of a liquid crystal.
abstract: Electrically induced reorientation of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) molecules caused by dielectric anisotropy of the material is a fundamental phenomenon widely used in modern technologies. Its Achilles heel is a slow (millisecond) relaxation from the field-on to the field-off state. We present an electro-optic effect in an NLC with a response time of about 30 ns to both the field-on and field-off switching. This effect is caused by the electric field induced modification of the order parameters and does not require reorientation of the optic axis (director).
authors.affiliation: Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: Volodymyr
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borshch
authors.affiliation: Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: Sergij V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Shiyanovskii
authors.affiliation: Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program, Liquid Crystal Institute, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
authors.forename: Oleg D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Lavrentovich