Dynamics of domain-wall motion in ferroelectric liquid crystals in an electric field

The director reorientation in smectic liquid crystals with ferroelectric properties has been considered in the case where the interaction of liquid-crystal molecules with the surface leads to a partial unwinding of the helical structure of the liquid crystal and the reorientation occurs as a result of the domain-wall motion. The dependences of the velocity of domain-wall motion on the electric field strength, electric field variation frequency, boundary conditions, spontaneous polarization, and viscosity of the liquid crystal have been determined. It has been demonstrated that an increase in the electric field variation frequency or the polar part of the anchoring energy and the spontaneous polarization of the liquid crystal at a constant field frequency results in an increase of the velocity of domain-wall motion. As a consequence, the time of the electro-optic response of the liquid crystal in weak electric fields (from 0.4 to 2.0 V/A mu m) decreases by a factor of more than three.