Effect of ferroelectric BaTiO particles on the threshold voltage of a smectic A liquid crystal.

The influence of small ferroelectric BaTiO particles on the planar-homeotropic transition threshold voltage in smectic A liquid crystals consisting of -nitrophenyl -decyloxybenzoate and 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl were studied by using capacitance-voltage (-) measurements. It was shown that the BaTiO particles significantly reduce the threshold voltage. The obtained result is explained by two factors: an increase of dielectric anisotropy of the liquid crystals and the formation of a strong electric field near polarized particles of BaTiO.