Switching Behavior of Smectic Subphases in an Antiferroelectric Liquid Crystal, MHPBC

Abstract

Switching and dielectric behavior in chiral smectic subphases is investigated in an antiferroelectric liquid crystal, (R)-4-(1-methylheptyloxy-carbonyl) phenyl 4'-octylbiphenyl-4-carboxylate (MHPBC). Using a thicker cell more than about 8 ^μm, the tristable switching is clearly observed in the AF phase. The antiferroelectric state in the tristable switching seems to become unstable with decreasing a cell gap. Moreover, a threshold-less bistable switching is observed in a thinner cell less than 4 ^μm. Here, a dielectric relaxation appears at several kHz in the temperature region of the antiferroelectric AF phase.