Ferrielectric liquid crystal with a subwavelength helix pitch as an electrooptical medium for phase spatial light modulators

We study the possibility of using a ferrielectric liquid crystal as an electro-optical medium for phase spatial light modulators. Electro-optical characteristics of the ferrielectric liquid crystal are measured, and a 12-sector crystal-based spiral plate is simulated numerically. It is found that at a sub-kHz switching frequency of the phase shift by 2π, the liquid-crystal ferrielectric in question is a lower-voltage electro-optical medium of spatiotemporal light modulators compared to ferroelectric liquid crystals.