Antiferroelectric dielectric relaxation processes and the interlayer interaction in antiferroelectric liquid crystals

Abstract

Antiphase relaxation process of antiferroelectric phase is investigated in binary mixtures of antiferroelectric and ferroelectric liquid crystalline compounds. It is found that the frequency of the antiphase mode ranges from 2 to 4 MHz, being one of the fastest collective processes reported so far. This can be exploited in a photonic switch with a submicrosecond response time. However, the frequency of the antiphase mode decreases by the mixing ratio of the ferroelectric compound. The decrease in the frequency is shown to be due to a reduction in the elastic constant in between the adjacent layers.