Bistable ferroelectric liquid crystal display cell

A liquid crystal display cell comprising:

• (a) two plate means, the first plate means having one surface connected to a first polarizer and a second surface having directional means for aligning liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal display cell, and its second plate means having one surface facing the directional means and a second surface connected to a second polarizer;
• (b) chiral ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal means sandwiched between the two plates means having a structure which is influenced by an electric field so that its optical anisotropy changes and having an achiral smectic C host mixture with a spontaneous polarizability of about P>10 nC/cm.sup.2 and a smectic C tilting angle of about .theta.>10.degree., the host mixture comprising at least two liquid crystal components, the first component having a tilted smectic phase and the second component having at least one chiral dopant which induces a helical pitch in the host mixture of about p<1 .mu.m;
• and
• (c) electrode means for applying an electrical field to said plate means, the electrical field shaping the chiral ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal means so that after shaping at about a 0 voltage and with the first polarizer in a cross position with the second polarizer, the liquid crystal display cell forms dark parallel stripes.