Monostable ferroelectric active matrix display

A monostable ferroelectric active matrix display comprising a liquid-crystal layer in the form of a monodomain having an unambiguously defined direction of the layer normals z of the smC* phase, wherein the layer normals z and the preferential direction n of the nematic or cholesteric phase (N* phase) form an angle of more than 5°, where the liquid-crystal layer comprises at least one compound of the formula (I)

• R1(-A1-M1)a(-A2-M2)b-A3-(M4-A4)c(-M5-A5)d-R2
• where:
• A3 is a mono-fluorinated, mono-, di- or trinuclear nitrogen containing aromatic,
• R1 and R2 are, independently of one another, identical or different and are each hydrogen or an alkyl or alkyloxy radical having 2-16 carbon atoms, where one or two —CH2— groups may be replaced by —CH═CH—, —OC(═O)—, —O═)C—O—, —Si(CH3)2— or cyclopropane-1,2diyl and one or more H atoms may be replaced by F with the proviso that R1 and R2 cannot both be hydrogen
• or the group M7-R7
• where R7 is a group having at least one asymmetric carbon atom which is either part of an alkyl group having 3-16 carbon atoms, where one to four —CH2— groups may be replaced by —O—, —OC(═O)— or —(O═)C—O— and one of the substituents of the asymmetric carbon atom must be —CH3—CF3—OCH3, Cl, F or CN,
• or part of a 3- to 7-membered carbocycle, where one or two nonadjacent —CH2— groups may be replaced by —O— or one —CH2— group may be replaced by —OC(═O)— or —(O═)C—O—,
• where M7 is a single bond, if the asymmetric carbon atom is part of an alkyl chain,
• and a single bond, —OCH2—, —CH2O—, —OC(═O)— or —C(═O)O—, if the asymmetric carbon atom is part of the carbocycle defined under R7
• A1, A2, A4 and A5 are, independently of one another, identical or different and are each 1,4-phenylene, unsubstituted, monosubstituted or disubstituted by F or Cl, 1,3-phenylene, unsubstituted, monosubstituted or disubstituted by F, cyclohex-1-ene-1,4-diyl, cyclohex-2ene-1,4-diyl, 1-alkyl-1-silacyclohexane-1,4-diyl, bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-1,4-diyl, indane-2,6diyl or naphthalene-2,6-diyl
• M1, M2, M4 and M5 are, independently of one another, identical or different and are each a single bond, —OC(═O)—, —(O═)C—O—, —OCH2—, —CH2—O—, —CH2CH2—, —CH2CH2CH2CH2— or —C≡C—
• a, b, c and d are each zero or 1 with the proviso that 1≦{a+b+c+d}≦3 and the understanding that (Ax-Mx) is a single bond when the corresponding index is zero.