0000000001151874
AUTHOR
Zhiming Zhuang
Optical Symmetry of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Cells
We observe an exact optical symmetry in Surface Stabilized Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal (SSFLC) cells in polarized transmission optical microscopy and spectroscopy. A theoretical argument based on the intrinsic time reversibility of Maxwell's equations and energy conservation is developed to explain this symmetry. The results support the model of Clark and Rieker for zig-zag wall structure and illustrate the necessity of including the orientational binding of the director at the chevron interface.
Visible polarized light transmission spectroscopy of the electro-optic switching behaviour of surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal cells
Abstract We present in this paper an experimental and theoretical modelling study of the switching characteristics and electro-optic behaviour of chevron surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal cells with planar (low pre-tilt) and non-planar (high pre-tilt) surface conditions. The visible polarized light transmission spectra were taken of the cells with glass plates coated with films of either rubbed polymer or obliquely evaporated silicon monoxide (SiO) at various applied voltages and in various stages of switching and compared with the theoretical values calculated numerically based on our director-polarization structure model for the aforementioned cells. The results provide evid…