Polarity-directed analog electro-optic switching in a low-polarization chiral smectic liquid crystal with positive dielectric anisotropy

We describe an analog electro-optic (EO) switching mechanism occurring in thin cells filled with a low-polarization ferroelectric liquid crystal mixture with positive dielectric anisotropy. The mixture is composed of an achiral nonpolar smectic-C (Sm-C) host doped with a small amount of a commercially available unichiral compound. The switching mechanism provides analog EO behavior, and thus could be attractive for information display applications. The process is polarization-driven for weak fields, while for higher field strength the dielectric coupling dominates the process.