Dielectric Relaxation Modes in the Phases of Antiferroelectric Liquid Crystals

Complex dielectric constant of an antiferroelectric liquid crystal family represented by 4-(1-methylheptyloxycarbonyl) 3-fluorophenyl 4'-dodecylbiphenyl-4-carboxylate was measured in the frequency range between 10(-2) Hz and 10(7) Hz. The experimental results were analyzed using a generalized Cole-Cole expression, and seven dielectric relaxation modes were confirmed to exist. Possible models of collective molecular motions are proposed for mode assignments on the basis of the experimental results of temperature dependence of the modes. together with those of cell gap and bias field dependences.