Dielectric and Electrooptic Properties of a Switchable Ferroelectric Liquid Crystalline Side Chain Polymer

Abstract For a switchable ferroelectric liquid crystalline side chain polymer the dielectric spectra for both SmC* and SmA* phases as well as the temperature dependences of the relaxation frequencies are obtained. Only soft and molecular modes take place in the interval 101 to 107 Hz. No Goldstone mode has been observed. The low frequency (∼102 Hz) of the soft mode in polymeric ferroelectric liquid crystals is discussed in terms of a sharp rise of rotational viscosity with increasing molecular weight of FLC molecules. Results of the electrooptical measurements (tilt angle and response time) are also reported. The optical tilt angle varies from zero up to about 25° in the SmC* phase. The switching time increases with decreasing temperature from a minimum of about one millisecond. A short description of the chemical synthesis is also given.