Helix unwinding in ferroelectric liquid crystals induced by tilted electric field

Helix unwinding in ferroelectric liquid crystals induced by an electric field is theoretically studied on the basis of the continuum theory. By applying a weak electric field tilted to the smectic layers, the contribution of the dielectric interaction energy density to the total free energy density is increased. Approximation methods are used to calculate the free energy for different tilt angles between the electric field and the smectic layers. The obtained results suggest selecting the optimal number of pitches in the film that matches to the minimum of the free energy. (paper)