Orientational ordering change induced by an external electric field in a homogeneously aligned antiferroelectric liquid crystal cell

Abstract

Molecular orientational order parameters were measured by a polarized Raman scattering for the homogeneously aligned thin sample of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal with applying static electric field. The orientational order parameters were very low at the initial state with zero electric field. This shows the surface stabilized antiferroelectric state. The order parameters gradually increased with the applied electric field strength in antiferroelectric phase. Although this result confirmed that the rotaion of the C-director was induced by the applied eleceic field, there was a discrepancy between the observed result and the theoretical prediction in terms of the dependence on the electric field.