Properties and Electrooptical Effects of Polymeric Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals Prepared by Spin-Coating Method

Abstract

Well-aligned thin films of polymeric ferroelectric liquid crystal have been prepared by means of a spin-coating method. Several types of electrooptical effects in these films have been measured. When the polarity of the applied field was reversed in the SmC^* phase, director waves which start from the electrode edges and propagate to the center of the active area were observed with the polarizing optical microscope in the spin-coated film. In order to investigate this director wave, electrooptical effects with crossed polarizers were studied. The characteristics of their effects in spin-coated polymeric ferroelectric liquid crystal film with a free surface have been discussed in comparison with those of conventional sandwich cells.