Photorefractive Effects in Ferro- and Flexoelectric Liquid Crystal Blends Containing Photoconductive Chiral Dopants with Lactate and Hydroxybutyrate Structures

Photorefractive liquid crystal blends exhibiting the flexoelectric effect were prepared, and the photorefractive effect, dielectric properties, and optical properties of these materials were investigated. These blends comprised mixtures of smectic liquid crystals with chiral photoconductive compounds and an electron-trap reagent. Depending on the molecular structure of the chiral compound, these mixtures showed either only flexoelectricity or both flexoelectricity and ferroelectricity. The former mixtures exhibited a faster and larger photorefractive effect than the latter ones.