Enhancement of electro-optic stability in the vertical configuration of a deformed-helix ferroelectric liquid crystal

Abstract

We propose a reliable vertical configuration of a deformed-helix ferroelectric liquid crystal (DHFLC) mode in a transverse electrode structure by introducing reactive mesogens (RMs) into the DHFLC material. Polymerized RMs remember the direction of the DHFLC molecules in the absence of an applied voltage and suppress the bending and breaking of the smectic layer under a strong electric field. In this DHFLC mode with polymerized RMs, reliable switching characteristics are obtained in the vertical configuration.