Enhancing the electro-optical properties of ferroelectric liquid crystals by doping ferroelectric nanoparticles.

The effects on the physical and electro-optical properties of ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) after the doping of a dilute suspension of ferroelectric nanoparticles (BaTiO3) have been studied. Due to the permanent electric dipole moments of the ferroelectric nanoparticles, the spontaneous polarisation of FLCs with low doping concentration was about twice that of pure FLCs, in addition to a significant improvement in the dielectric properties, the response time and the V-shaped switching in the chiral smectic C (SmC*) phase. The results obtained point the way to an alternative for improving the applicability of FLCs without resorting to chemical synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]