Fourier-transform infrared study of the switching process in a ferroelectric liquid crystalline polymer

The implementation of the step-scan technique on our spectrometer enabled us to follow the electric field induced reorientation dynamics of different molecular segments of the ferroelectric liquid crystalline polymer [Si(Me)(R)O/Si(Me)(R')O/Si(Me) 2 O] n (R= (CH 2 ) 11 OPhCOOPhOCO * CHCl * CH(Me)(Et); R'= (CH 2 ) 11 OPhN=NPhO * CH(Me)(Hex)) on a sub-millisecond time scale. It was detected that not only the mesogen but also the spacer and at least part of the backbone take part in the reorientation process