Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2026

Measuring Magnetically-Tuned Ferroelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystals
Published on: August 15, 2018
Pyroelectric properties of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal
J W O'Sullivan1, Y P Panarin, J K Vij
1Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Abstract:
The effects of temperature and applied voltage on the pyroelectric properties of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal are given. It has been found that the pyroelectric signal depends strongly on the bias voltage across the sample. The pyroelectric signal behaviour is interpreted with the aid of spontaneous polarization data and good agreement is found between the results from the pyroelectric and polarization techniques. The spontaneous polarization of the sample exhibits the temperature- and field-induced `Devil's staircase' behaviour, as predicted by the Ising model.
Related Concept Videos
Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
Dielectric Polarization in a Capacitor

