Modeling and simulation of switchings in ferroelectric liquid crystals

Abstract

Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of smectic C liquid crystals which possess the spontaneous polarization are considered in this paper. In particular, the model allows for a system with a zero net polarization which is one of the ubiquitous systems of the polarized liquid crystals. Theoretical and numerical investigations are conducted to study effects of the energy associated with the polarization, switching patterns between two uniform states by an externally appllied field and random noise, as well as a relation between polarization and appllied field near the phase transition from the smectic A and smectic C.