An optical diffractive method for characterizing SSFLC field induced director patterns in the SmC* phase

Abstract

International audienceChevron and quasi-bookshelf textures in Surface Stabilized Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals, as well as intermediate transition textures, correspond to distinct birefringence modulations and result in distinct diffraction properties which are theoretically analysed. The experimental study of the polarization and illumination properties of diffraction patterns allows us to distinguish the actual texture of a liquid crystal among the above possible textures