The Domain Mode in a Single Component Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal — Dielectrical and Electrooptical Investigations

In this paper we present the dielectric and electrooptic investigations on the single component ferroelectric liquid crystal 3‐Octyloxy‐6‐[2‐fluoro‐4‐(2‐fluoro‐octyloxy)phenyl]‐pyridine (FFP), synthesized by E. Merck Company. The investigations were performed in an ITO‐cell with the thickness of 900 nm. The sample was aligned planarly. Under the polarization microscope a Domain structure was observed. The threshold voltage for the helix unwinding in the SmC* phase was determined. The complex dielectric permittivity component ε* was measured in the frequency range from 10 Hz up to 10 MHz. Beside the Goldstone mode, a Domain mode relaxation was found in the dielectric spectra of this substance. Due to the small cell thickness only one Domain process, namely the surface Domain mode could be detected. BIAS field and temperature dependent measurements of this Domain mode process were performed. In order to obtain the characteristic relaxation strengths and dispersion frequencies of the observed processes the Havriliak‐Negami equation was fitted to the data obtained.