EVOLUTION OF SWITCHING CHARACTERISTICS FROM TRISTABLE TO V-SHAPED IN AN APPARENTLY ANTIFERROELECTRIC LIQUID-CRYSTAL

We have identified three smectic phases, smectic A, ferrielectric and antiferroelectric, in a free-standing film of the first component comp ound of the mixture which nas reported to show the V-shaped switching usable for realizing attractive displays [Inui et al,: J. Mater. Chem, 6 (1996) 671]. The switching in the antiferroelectric phase, observed by applying a triangular waveform electric field to a homogeneous cel l, evolves from tristable to V-shaped with increasing temperature and frequency; the V-shaped switching occurs uniformly without accompanyin g any domain boundary movement. The results have been discussed in ter ms of thresholdless antiferroelectricity in liquid crystals.