Electroclinic effect in finite samples of ferroelectric liquid crystals

Abstract
The dispersion of the electroclinic effect of a room temperature ferroelectric liquid crystal benzoic acid 4-octyloxy 4|)2-methyl butyloxy) carbonyl| phenylester has been studied in the vicinity of its ferroelectric phase transition temperature Tc. The relaxation frequencies determined from the dispersion agree with those found from previous dielectric study. The origin of the texture observed on samples in both SC* and SA phases is explained as a consequence of lowering of the smectic layer thickness in finite samples caused by the electroclinic effect.