Evaluation of Electrorheology Effect of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Using Elastic Wave

Abstract

An electrorheology (ER) effect of a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) is evaluated in the relation with shear horizontal (SH) wave propagation in a liquid crystal layer between a piezoelectric ceramic plate and a glass plate. Measured phase delay in the SH wave device is related to the effective viscosity of FLC. The effective viscosity coefficient obtained in the present system contains the contribution from the director rotation induced by field application.