Dynamical and Structural Studies of Liquid Crystal Phases

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The goal of this research is to study the structure and dynamical behavior of liquid crystal phases using optical microscopy, light and x-ray scattering, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Systems to be probed include planar freely suspended liquid crystal films, ultrathin preparations between solid substrates, liquid crystals confined to an aerogel matrix, and liquid crystal-solid interface. The research is directed toward elucidating the effects of surfaces and reduced dimensionality on liquid crystal fluctuations, ordering and phase transitions. The proposed studies are important because of their fundamental impact on condensed matter physics and due to technological interests. %%% This research is focused on freely suspended liquid crystal films, ultrathin preparations between solid substrates, liquid crystals in porous media, and scanning tunneling microscopy of adsorbed liquid crystal layers. The research is directed toward elucidating the effects of surfaces and reduced dimensionality on liquid crystal fluctuations, ordering and phase transitions. Freely suspended liquid crystal films are structures of fundamental interest in condensed matter physics because they are the thinnest known stable condensed phase structures and have the largest surface-to-volume ratio of any condensed phase preparation. The weak ordering and strong interface interactions of liquid crystals makes them ideal materials for studying the physics of condensed phase transition in porous media. This area is emerging as an exciting extension of liquid crystal phase research of the past two decades. Ultrathin liquid crystal films between solid substrates are not only of broad technological interest but they continue to generate a variety of interesting basic physics problems.