Electrooptic response during switching of a ferroelectric liquid crystal cell with uniform director orientation

We present calculations of the light intensity transmitted through a uniform ferroelectric liquid crystal light valve during electrooptic switching. We discuss the calculated delay time and rise time of the optical response, and show how they depend on spontaneous polarization, dielectric anisotropy, applied electric field, and initial director orientation. Our calculations also yield the ferroelectric polarization-reversal current.