Polarization switching and dielectric relaxations in ferroelectric liquid crystals

Polarization switching and dielectric relaxations have been investigated in two novel ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures. The samples of helical pitch similar to 12 mu m and 0.43 mu m respectively were sandwiched in planar cells of 5 mu m thickness. P-S, tau(r) and gamma have been evaluated using polarization reversal current technique. Dielectric relaxation modes have been studied under different bias conditions. In volume stabilized cell configuration (p(0) much less than d) bulk domain mode appears due to the formation of modulated domain structures in bulk region while in surface stabilized cell configuration (p(0) much greater than d) surface stabilized domain mode was observed. New relaxation mode appeared at all bias fields in SmC* phase due to the surface effects.