DYNAMICS OF POLARIZATION REVERSAL IN THE SURFACE-LAYER OF FERROELECTRIC LIQUID-CRYSTALS

Using a triangular wave method, we have studied the polarization rever sal dynamics in the surface layer of a ferroelectric liquid crystal in a surface-stabilized geometry. It is found that there exist two disti nct current peaks associated with two types of molecular reorientation processes in the polarization reversal. A simple model for the two pr ocesses occurred in the bulk and the surface layer is developed to des cribe the physical origin of the second peak under an external electri c field. The non-polar and polar surface anchoring energies are estima ted as 6.0 x 10(-1) erg/cm(2) and 3.7 x 10(-2) erg/cm(2), respectively .