https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:2000111
Homogeneous and heterogeneous switching in antiferroelectric liquid crystals
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1
3PJ, UK
Corresponding author: beccherelli@die.ing.uniromal.it
Received:
18
January
1999
Revised:
3
June
1999
Accepted:
2
February
2000
Published online: 15 March 2000
An experimental investigation of hysteretic switching in antiferroelectric liquid crystals has been carried out. It is shown that in switching from the antiferroelectric state to the ferroelectric state there exists both a heterogeneous process involving the growth of finger-like domains and a homogeneous process in which the whole cell uniformly switches. At high field slew rates the homogeneous process dominates. However, ferroelectric to antiferroelectric switching involves only a heterogeneous process. A simple analytic model is then used to describe the experimental results and thus understand the competition between homogeneous and heterogeneous switching.
PACS: 61.30.Eb – Experimental determinations of smectic, nematic, cholesteric and other structures / 61.30.Cz – Theory and models of liquid crystal structure / 42.79.Kr – Display devices, liquid-crystal devices
© EDP Sciences, 2000
