Analysis of Layer Structure in Polymer-Stabilized Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal

Abstract

We studied the layer structures of the polymer-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal (PSFLC) with grayscale memory using an X-ray diffraction meter and a polarizing microscope. In the PSFLC fabricated under ultraviolet light irradiation, the inclination angle of smectic layer in the chevron structure decreased with aligned low-concentration polymer when the irradiation intensity increased. A unique microscopic striped texture, in which smectic layers were slightly deviated from normal of the rubbing direction, could also be controlled by dispersing the polymer. This polymer anchoring is concerned with the forming of small liquid crystal domains with different threshold voltages for bistable switching.