Both Symmetric and Asymmetric Electro-Optic Dynamic Behavior with SSD (Smectic Single Domain) Liquid Crystals
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The manuscript investigates on electro-optic dynamic behavior with Smectic Single Domain Liquid Crystals. It has originality and strong scientific soundness. Just few comments are below.
-Providing POM images proving uniform single domain would be very helpful for readers to follow.
-POM images related to on-state, switchings in nonuniform domain state are required.
-I do not see materials information indicating smectic phase range, birefringence etc..
-Removing some typos is required.
Author Response
-Providing POM images proving uniform single domain would be very helpful for readers to follow.
The three types of panels (uniform, slightly twisted, and heavily twisted) texture photos were up in the manuscript as Photo 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Unlike well-known most of smectic liquid crystals’ texture, the SSD-LC panel’s typical texture is much more like those at uniaxially aligned nematic LC panels. The reason we call SSD is its single domain like, or another word, no particular different domains in its texture.
-POM images related to on-state, switchings in nonuniform domain state are required.
As added some statements in the manuscript, even the expected heavily twisted SSD-LC panel case, it still shows almost single domain. Since the SSD-LC panel cases, their optical condition does not follow Mauguin's condition, with visible optical polarized microscope image does not provide visible domain for human eyes. Therefore, regardless non-activated, activated by externally applied electric field application, the observed texture does not show any visible texture change other than monotonically changes its light throughput.
-I do not see materials information indicating smectic phase range, birefringence etc..
In page 5, the nature of the used smectic liquid crystal material was described. I also added reference in which further detail information is described.
In regard to some typical characteristics of the liquid crystal, it may be different from a typical case. Since the SSD-LC configuration uses a tilted smectic (non-chiral, or non-spontaneous polarization) liquid crystal as a bulk state. However, at the SSD panel configuration, due to strong surface interaction (primarily expected to quadrupole moment dominant Van der Waals interaction), the tilt is missing, and each smectic liquid crystal molecular director shows normal to the smectic layer. Therefore, under the SSD-LC configuration, it is somewhat called “artificial smectic A” configuration using tilted smectic liquid crystal.
Therefore, it may not be same to describe a bulk liquid crystal material’s characteristics. This situation is similar to the difference between nematic bulk LC characteristic properties, and TN configured liquid crystal characteristics. Moreover, the SSD-LC panel case, it uses out of Mauguin’s condition, therefore, a bulk liquid crystal material’s characteristic properties may not provide reasonable information to discuss certain artificially prepared panel case.
-Removing some typos is required.
Applied word confirmation and confirmed spelling
Reviewer 2 Report
The manuscript "Both Symmetric and Asymmetric Electro-Optic Dynamic Behavior with SSD (Smectic Single Domain) Liquid Crystals" presents the method to distinguish in-plane and out-of-plan retardation by using two different polarization states of the probe beam. Moreover, they can discuss the switching behavior of SSD LC. It is an interested research, however, there are some points needed to clarify before accepting.
- In the introduction, when the author mention the previous reference paper on SSD LC, most of them are self-citation. Author should offer more relative researched from other group, which can give the reviewer and reader a whole picture about SSD LC.
- In the results, author provides the experimental data, however, the LC material, cell structure and experimental conditions are not wrote in this manuscript. Author should give a complete information on experimental setup and material.
- In section 4, author gives explanations on the symmetric and asymmetric EO response of SSD LC Those are good. But, can author give the optical microscopic pictures of those orientations of SSD LC? It will be very helpful to let the reader know the optical patterns of them.
I recommend that author should reply and modify his manuscript before considering by Crystals.
Author Response
- In the introduction, when the author mention the previous reference paper on SSD LC, most of them are self-citation. Author should offer more relative researched from other group, which can give the reviewer and reader a whole picture about SSD LC.
I understood the review’s comment on the citation at the introduction. Since the artificially non-tilting smectic configuration using a tilting smectic sub-phase liquid crystal phenomenon has not reported other than the SSD configuration so far, there are no straightforward references to consider the artificially non-tilted smectic configuration. However, the observed electro-optic behaviors are somewhat similar to those at an SSFLC and DeVries type smectic LCs. Therefore, some typical those references were cited at the introduction portion.
- In the results, author provides the experimental data, however, the LC material, cell structure and experimental conditions are not wrote in this manuscript. Author should give a complete information on experimental setup and material.
The prepared experimental panel fabrication conditions were described at each portion such as the uniformly stacked, slightly twisted stacked, and the heavily twisted stacked portion in the original article. I also added used spacer particle size in the article. The used smectic liquid crystal nature was reported in the page 5.
- In section 4, author gives explanations on the symmetric and asymmetric EO response of SSD LC Those are good. But, can author give the optical microscopic pictures of those orientations of SSD LC? It will be very helpful to let the reader know the optical patterns of them.
The three types of panels (uniform, slightly twisted, and heavily twisted) texture photos were up in the manuscript as Photo 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Unlike well-known most of smectic liquid crystals’ texture, the SSD-LC panel’s typical texture is much more like those at uniaxially aligned nematic LC panels. The reason we call SSD is its a single domain like, or another word, no particular different domains in its texture. Moreover most of the SSD-LC panels do not follow Mauguin's optical condition, therefore, using visible range of optical polarized microscope, human eyes do not recognize any significant textures other than light throughput change. However, when some significant smectic layer structure distortion happens, it can break Mauguin's condition, resulting in some visible varieties in domain structures. The reason why we call as "SSD (Smectic Single Domain) is its single domain nature without showing visible different textures using visible range of polarized microscopes.
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
The author already replys the reviewer's comment.
