Dominant factors influence the bistability of surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal devices

The bistability of surface-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) devices using ion-free FLC mixtures has been analyzed as a function of the spontaneous polarization, the thickness of the insulating alignment layer, and the percentage of chiral dopants in the achiral host. A memory time that scales with the rotational viscosity of the FLC was defined to characterize the bistability. In one of the most favorable cases, we predict that bistability can be maintained with a spontaneous polarization as high as 100 nC/cm2and a rotational viscosity of 40 mPas using a pure single FLC compound aligned either by conductive alignment layers or shear alignments. © 1989 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.