Synthesis, properties and applications of ferroelectric smectic liquid crystals

Although smectic liquid crystals containing an optically active center were first prepared over fifty years ago, it was only recently realized that a number of these materials were ferroelectrics. Smectic phases which exhibit ferroelectric properties have structures in which their optically active molecules have their long axes tilted with respect to the layer planes of the phase. Smectics C*, I*, F*, J*, and G* have these properties.