Liquid Crystals in Hyper-Complex Fluid Systems

Brandeis University, Waltham MA

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this project is to pursue theoretical and experimental studies on novel aspects of the fundamental physics and chemistry of complex materials based on liquid crystals. The following three areas will be emphasized: nematic and cholesteric gels and elastomers with very unusual mechanical, electro-optical, mechano-optical, and piezoelectric properties; thin films of ferroelectric smectic-C* phases in which important elastic properties are dominated by the collective electrostatic and ionic screening properties at the nano-scale; and unusual smectic phases in which the molecular organization of the smectic-A phase leads to highly enhanced properties near the smectic A to C phase change. Many of these materials have the potential for novel applications, including mechanical sensors and actuators, new kinds of tunable lasers, and improved display devices. The students and post docs involved in this research will be well prepared to enter the high tech applications area, as well as for careers in teaching and research. The university setting has traditionally involved a wide variety of students in the research program, including high school students and minority students at all levels. This research also spans a number of disciplines in a way that stimulates creativity by expanding the boundaries of traditional areas. %%% This project involves studies of the fundamental physics of a number of unusual materials based on liquid crystals, substances with properties between those of liquids and solids. The familiar Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) on a laptop computer is only one of the important applications of these fascinating materials. As new features are added to the fundamental formulation of such materials, new basic physics questions arise, and this research seeks to explore those questions, so that a sound understanding of the materials will lead to their effective utilization. Examples could include new kinds of lasers that can be used as remote sensors of changes in mechanical and thermal conditions, without requiring direct connection of electrical wires to the system being studied. The research in a university setting has the advantage of involving students at all levels, including high school, undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral, and preparing them for careers in teaching, basic research, and industrial applications of the new technologies based on the materials being studied. The research also involves theory and experiments, spanning physics, chemistry, and materials science, connecting researchers in a wide range of disciplines, in a way that stimulates creativity. ***