Investigations of Soft-Mode and Electroclinic Response in a Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal with Ps≈5 mC/m2

Measurements of the soft-mode and electroclinic behavior in the smectic A*-phase of a compound with very high spontaneous polarization (about 5 mC/m2 (0.5 µC/cm2) in the smectic C*-phase) are presented. It is found that for large induced tilt angles, one observes a strip texture giving rise to a strong characteristic light scattering. Once created this periodic stripe pattern remains even when the field is turned off. Furthermore, the electric field-induced modulation of the pattern allows scattering intensity modulation, resulting in anomalous electroclinic behavior.