Memory effect in SmC* phase of electroclinic liquid crystals

Dielectric, textural, and electro-optical investigations have been carried out on a material exhibiting de Vries smectic A phase transition in sample cells of various thicknesses. Thickness independent memory effect has been observed in this special class of ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) known as de Vries electroclinic liquid crystals. Unlike the FLC materials, surface anchoring energy does not play a role in the memory effect due to the fact that pitch is around 2 micron and basic assumption of SSFLC effect is not valid. The conversion of short-range azimuthal (Phi) ordering of molecules in Sm C-* phase into a long-range azimuthal ordering under the influence of field could be one of the possible explanations. The transformation of molecular ordering in Sm C-* phase under field may be mediated by dipolar interaction and viscoelastic properties. 2007 American Institute of Physics.