Submillisecond Electro-Optical Response of a Nematic Liquid Crystal in the Bidirectional Field Switching Mode

Abstract

The electrooptics in the bidirectional field switching mode in a homeotropically aligned layer of a nematic liquid crystal with two pairs of interdigitated microelectrodes situated on the opposite sides of the cell has been studied in detail. The method of bidirectional field switching eliminates the slow stage of free relaxation of liquid crystal (LC) molecules and makes it possible to approach a submillisecond speed of electro-optical switching. The electro-optical characteristics studied in the geometry with parallel interdigitated electrodes are compared with the previously obtained data for a cell with mutually orthogonal electrodes.