Abstract: A liquid crystal composition comprises a host material capable of exhibiting a smectic C phase, and a chiral dopant material which imparts or enhances chirality in the host material. The composition exhibits &tgr;-Vmin curves. The chiral dopant material comprises at least first and second chiral centers. The chiral centers individually produce, in the liquid crystal composition, different and complementary temperature coefficients of spontaneous polarization within a predetermined temperature range. The chiral centers are present in the liquid crystal composition in relative amounts such that regions of the &tgr;-Vmin curves across the predetermined temperature range are substantially coincident.

Abstract: An electroclinic device having two spaced cell walls each bearing electrode structures and treated on at least one facing surface with an alignment layer, a layer of a smectic liquid crystal material enclosed between the cell walls, where the liquid crystal material contains one or more of the compounds described by formula I as defined in the specification.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition comprising (1) an achiral host mixture comprising (a) at least 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the host mixture, of a mixture of fluorinated phenylpyrimidine compounds capable of exhibiting an SmC phase, and (b) at least 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the host mixture, of at least one fluorinated terphenyl compound which enhances the phase sequence of said mixture, wherein the total amount of (a) and (b) is at least 50% by weight based on the total weight of the host mixture; and (2) at least one chiral dopant in an amount of not more than 10% by weight of the total weight of the composition.

Abstract: An electroclinic device having two spaced cell walls each bearing electrode structures and treated on at least one facing surface with an alignment layer, a layer of a smectic liquid crystal material enclosed between the cell walls, where the liquid crystal material contains one or more of the compounds described by formula I as defined in the specification.

Abstract: An electoclinic device having two spaced cell walls each bearing electrode structures and treated on at least one facing surface with an alignment layer, a layer of a smectic liquid crystal material enclosed between the cell walls, where the liquid crystal material contains one or more of the compounds described by formula I as defined in the specification.

Abstract: The invention describes liquid crystal compounds of formula (I) which are suitable for use in liquid crystal devices including those devices which exploit the electroclinic effect, ##STR1## where X may be CN, NO.sub.2, CF.sub.3, CF.sub.2 H, CFH.sub.2, halogen, hydrogen, alkyl or alkoxy; X.sub.2 may be CN, NO.sub.2, CF.sub.3, CF.sub.2 H, CFH.sub.2, halogen, hydrogen, alkyl or alkoxy; X.sub.3 may be CN, NO.sub.2, CF.sub.3, CF.sub.2 H, CFH.sub.2, halogen, alkyl, alkoxy or hydrogen; X.sub.4 may be CN, NO.sub.2, CF.sub.3, CF.sub.2 H, CFH.sub.2, halogen, alkyl, alkoxy or hydrogen; provided that at lease one of X or X.sub.2 is CF.sub.3, CF.sub.2 H, CFH.sub.2, CN, NO.sub.2 or halogen; A and B are independently phenyl, mono-fluorinated phenyl, di-fluorinated phenyl or cyclohexyl; Y may be single bond, COO, OOC, C.dbd.C; q may be 0 or 1; R.sub.1 may be an end group of formula (II) wherein Z may be a single bond, O, CO.sub.2, (CH.sub.2).sub.n or (CH.sub.2).sub.