Time resolved infrared spectroscopy of electro‐optic switching of 5CB

Abstract Time resolved infrared IR absorption spectroscopy is carried out to investigate the dynamics of electric field induced reorientation of the biphenyl molecular core and alkyl tail sub‐fragments of the nematic liquid crystal 5CB (4‐pentyl‐4‐cyanobiphenyl). The planar to homeotropic transition for high pre‐tilt planar aligned cells, is studied for switching times ranging from 200 μsec down to 80 μsec, the latter a factor of 1000 times faster than any previous nematic IR study. The reorientation rates of the core and tail are found to be the same to within experimental error and scale inversely with applied field squared, as expected for the balance of field and viscous torques. Thus any molecular conformation change during switching must relax on a shorter time scale. A simple model shows that no substantial differences exist between the reorientational dynamics of the tails and cores on the time scales longer than on the order of 10 μs.