Uniform bookshelf alignment of chiral smectic C films with guided backflow

We describe a new technique to prepare cells of smectic C* films with a uniform bookshelf texture that can be bistably switched. This is achieved with a homeotropic surface coating with weak anchoring properties. The surface of one plate was modulated by parallel stripes of a polymer which hinder flow perpendicular to the stripes. This gives bias to field induced flow effects and enhances alignment by periodic switching. The resulting texture is uniform with smectic layers normal to the cover plates and parallel to the deposited stripes. The stripes also help to reheal textures with defects.