Dielectric relaxation behavior of ferroelectric phase in antiferroelectricliquid crystals

The ferroelectric phase in optically pure samples and racemized ones of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal were studied by a dielectric dispersion ex periment. In the optically pure samples, in addition to the Goldstone mode, a new relaxation mode was found, which is related to a molecular motion wi thin the plane parallel to the cell surface. A model based on a field-induc ed conformation change of molecules was proposed for the ferrielectric-like behavior of SmC beta*.