The switching processes in ferroelectric liquid crystals are probed optical
ly using a combination of transmission between crossed polarizers and surfa
ce evanescent field reflection techniques. This allows the behaviour of the
liquid crystal director reorientation to be studied in the bulk of a devic
e and near the surface simultaneously. Interesting behaviour is observed, a
nd it is found that-the processes can be adequately modelled using a simple
one-dimensional model to represent the director structure across the thick
ness of the liquid crystal laver.