Abstract

Ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) exhibit electrooptic switching resulting in significant reorientation (Δθ ~ 20–45°) of the optic axis of a medium with a large-index anisotropy (Δn ~ 0.2). The resulting effects make possible a variety of novel electrooptic devices with applications in displays, optical computing, integrated optics, and research electrooptics. I review recent FLC developments including basic cell physics, switching devices employing birefringence, total internal reflection, and waveguide geometries. Various applications are discussed.

© 1988 Optical Society of America