Ferroelectric liquid crystalline polymers with large pyroelectric coefficients for infrared detectors

Abstract

We have synthesized many ferroelectric side-chain liquid crystalline polymers exhibiting the Smectic C* phase over a wide temperature range extending to sub-ambient temperatures. The tuning of the mesophase temperature has been achieved by incorporating two different mesogens as side groups attached to the siloxane backbone. These copolymers exhibit large values of spontaneous polarization which varies linearly through out the Smectic C* phase. The pyroelectric coefficient and dielectric constants of these materials have been measured. The potential of these ferroelectric liquid crystals as pyroelectric detector materials will be examined.