Abstract

Ferroelectric liquid crystals have been a major research topic since 30 years. However, when it comes to liquid crystals, the term “ferroelectric” is strongly ambiguous and frequently not only leads to confusion and misunderstanding but also obscures the basic concepts. The property of ferroelectricity in liquid crystals was first claimed in 1975. Five years later so-called surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystals were described, which caused a surge in industrial interest because of their promising electro-optical applications, in particular for high-resolution liquid crystal displays. The industrial interest led to a considerable activity in synthesizing new compounds with the desired properties. In the course of this materials development antiferroelectricity in liquid crystals was then also sought for and was finally identified in 1989. At the same time as the first industrial ferroelectric devices (the Canon displays) came on the market in 1995, the antiferroelectric liquid crystals were bein...

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