Nanomaterials in Liquid Crystals


Book Description

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Nanomaterials in Liquid Crystals" that was published in Nanomaterials




Artificial Microscopic Structures in Nematic Liquid Crystals Created by Patterned Photoalignment and Controlled Confinement


Book Description

Disclination lines play a decisive role in determining the equilibrium structures of topologically constrained liquid crystal systems including cholesteric blue phases, twist grain boundary phases and liquid crystal colloids. The extra energy associated with disclinations is key to stabilizing one particular director structure over another, yet our knowledge of disclination energetics is limited as are characterization methods. In this work, we detail our approach which has focused on building versatile one-of-a-kind instruments for studying liquid crystal systems. This work details the development and use of two novel instruments: an automated maskless photoalignment pattern generator (maskless system) and a dynamic-cell system that allows for the automated mechanical adjustment of the liquid crystal cell thickness, twist angle and temperature. Both instruments were extensively refined and characterized for maximum performance. In addition, both instruments were designed as versatile platforms for new research. In this work, we used the maskless system to create novel surface alignments and Pancharatnam-phase devices, and we employed the dynamic-cell system for the generation and characterization of reverse-twist-domain defect loops.




Microwaves, Millimeter Wave and Terahertz Liquid Crystals


Book Description

This book is the first ever monograph on nematic liquid crystals for microwaves, millimeter waves and terahertz waves. It presents the first hand independent studies on nematic liquid crystals for microwaves, millimeter waves and terahertz waves. This book opens with an introduction to generic liquid crystals and a retrospective review about nematic liquid crystals in microwaves, millimeter waves and terahertz waves. Attention is then focused on the latest in-house progress on microwave, millimeter wave and terahertz nematic liquid crystals. Synthesis and characterization of novel nematic liquid crystals are first presented, followed by indigenous technologies to manufacture functional nematic liquid crystal devices for microwaves, millimeter waves and terahertz waves. A few self-developed representative advanced functional devices are shown to demonstrate the promising perspective of liquid crystals for not only microwaves, millimeter waves and terahertz waves but also many other non-display applications. The presented studies will attract scientists, engineers and students from various disciplines, such as materials, chemical, electrical, biological, and biomedical engineering. The book is intended for undergraduates, graduates, researchers, professionals and industrial practitioners who are interested in developing novel liquid crystals and further extending liquid crystals beyond display.




Cross-Linked Liquid Crystalline Systems


Book Description

Liquid crystal displays were discovered in the 1960s, and today we continue to enjoy the benefits of that fundamental discovery and its translation into a wide variety of products. Like liquid crystals, polymers are unusual materials, and have similarly enjoyed a great deal of research attention because of their vast applications and uses and compl







Advances in Energy Science and Equipment Engineering


Book Description

Advances in Energy Equipment Science and Engineering contains selected papers from the 2015 International Conference on Energy Equipment Science and Engineering (ICEESE 2015, Guangzhou, China, 30-31 May 2015). The topics covered include:- Advanced design technology- Energy and chemical engineering- Energy and environmental engineering- Energy scien