Aggregation states and bistable light switching effects in a side chain ferroelectric liquid crystalline polysiloxane

✍ Scribed by Jenn Chiu Hwang; Ming Chin Shu; Hiroshi Moritake; Katsumi Yoshino

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 645 KB
• Volume: 198
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1022-1352
• DOI: 10.1002/macp.1997.021980501

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Aggregation states and transient light scattering in the chiral smectic C phase of a ferroelectric liquid crystalline polymer (FLCP) were studied. The smectic phase shows an interlayer spacing of 38–39.5 Å, which is about 1.41 times the length of the side chain mesogenic group. The transient scattering mode obtained by repeated voltage polarity reversal. A reversible transparent‐opaque (light scattering) change was observed in the chiral smectic C state upon application of electric fields with low and high frequencies, respectiely. Both transparent and opaque states were maintained stably even when the electric field was turned off (bistable light swiching). A novel type of electro‐optical effect based on light scattering was obtained for the FLCP in the chiral smectic C state.