OPTICAL-RESPONSE IN A UNIQUE CIRCULAR TEXTURE OF FREELY SUSPENDED FERROELECTRIC LIQUID-CRYSTAL FILMS

Electro-optic measurements on a freely suspended ferroelectric liquid crystal (FSFLC) film with a small spontaneous polarization have been c arried out. The optical response depends on the magnitude of the appli ed electric held. The response to polarization reversal at intermediat e field strength shows an anomaly, in which piled 2 pi-walls are obser ved. The electro-optic response in the FSFLC film in which the piled 2 pi-walls appear has been analyzed on the basis of a switching model w ith a distribution function for the molecular orientation. This theore tical model describes the essential features of our experimental obser vations of optical transmission during switching.