Investigation of relaxation processes in anticlinic smectic C* (SmCA*) phase of Liquid Crystals by dielectric spectroscopy

There are only few antiferroelectric liquid crystal (AFLC) materials, which have shown long temperature range SmCA* phase near room temperature. One such material is chlorinated version of MHPOBC. In the present work we are reporting dielectric spectroscopy of this material over a frequency range of 1 Hz to 10 MHz for planar and homeotropic anchoring geometry of sample molecules. In the antiferroelectric SmCA* phase, two relaxation processes have been observed under planar anchoring condition of molecules. These two dielectric processes are reported and discussed as a function of temperature, bias electric field and thickness of the sample.