Fast Electro-Optical Switching Mode in an LC Cell while Decreasing the Electrode Grating Period

Abstract

An increase in the electro-optical switching speed with a decrease in the electrode grating period is observed in a cell with a homeotropically oriented nematic liquid-crystal (LC) layer and interdigitated electrodes. There are two modes in the electro-optical response: fast and slow. A numerical simulation has shown that the fast mode occurs because of the LC director deformation in the surface layer. On the contrary, the occurrence of slow mode is due to the fact that the deformation propagates much more slowly in the LC bulk. The observed effect has been demonstrated experimentally in the bidirectional switching mode using two crossed interdigitated electrodes, located at both sides of the LC layer.