1C01 Effects of Pressure on Spontaneous Polarization of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals

Abstract

We have investigated the spontaneous polarization of ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) under pressure. In the FLC with the SmC^*-N^* transition, the coexistence of the SmC^* and N^* phases was observed. On the other hand, the spontaneous polarization, P_S, of another FLC steadily decreased with increasing temperature and finally disappeared at the SmC^*-SmA transition temperature T_C, and the magnitude of P_S steadily decreased with increasing pressure. The influence of the pressure on P_S is discussed on the basis of parameters such as the width of the coexistence region, and P_0 and β in the equation P_S=P_0 (T_C-T)^β.