Misaki TAKEI^*, Hideki SHIROCHI, and Masafumi YAMASHITA

Department of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan

(Received February 2, 2007; Accepted July 4, 2007)

The dynamic changes of ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) molecular alignments under the applied electric field were examined by observing the formation of conoscopic figures with a time resolution of 0.1 ms, which reflect the temporal and spatial dependences of the LC molecular alignments on the azimuthal angle. By a detailed comparison of the experimental conoscopic figures with simulated figures, the molecules began to shift from the central portion of the helix to the outer ends within 0.1 ms following application of the electric field. The positions of molecular layers having the fastest moving velocity (Δφ/Δ t) corresponded to the positions with the azimuthal angles of π/2 and 3π/2 rad.

Key words: ferroelectric liquid crystal, helical structure, conoscopic figure, dynamic orientational process, azimuthal angle

^*E-mail address: j6206615@yahoo.co.jp