ANALYSIS OF QUASI-ELASTIC LIGHT-SCATTERING IN FERROELECTRIC LIQUID-CRYSTAL

Temperature dependence of Raman spectra of ferroelectric liquid crystal MBOPDOB is examined in spectral region 0-30 cm(-1) with spectral emphasis on the quasielastic light scattering near solid-Sm C* transition, The quasielastic components are well fitted to Debye-type susceptibility function. With increase of temperature the inverse of the relaxation time tau linearly goes to zero in the temperature range below the transition, manifesting a critical slowing-down. The relaxation time keeps same big value in the Sm C* phase as that at the transition point owing to long orientational relaxation in the liquid phase.