Dynamic Layer Response under Electric Field in Antiferroelectric Liquid Crystal Cells Measured by Synchrotron Microbeam Time Resolved X-Ray Diffraction

Abstract

Direct observation of the local layer response of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal to the step form electric field has been carried out by a time resolved synchrotron X-ray micro diffraction measurement. When an electric field was changed from high voltage to OV, corresponding to the ferroelectric to antiferroelectric phase transition, the local layer transformed from the bookshelf to the quasi-bookshelf structure within 0.3 ms. The horizontal chevron structure was found in both the phases, though the decrease in the horizontal chevron angle was observed during a period of 0.2 ms after turning off the electric field. In the antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase transition process (from OV to high voltage), the layer structure transformed to the bookshelf within 0.04 ms.