Dynamic Light Scattering Study of Commensurate and Incommensurate Structure in Ferrielectric and Twist Grain Boundary Liquid Crystals

9904321Sprunt该项目是一项液晶相的研究，它以一种几乎逐步的方式跟踪固体的取向和位置顺序特征从液相中的发展。 随着铁电性和液晶中扭曲晶界相的发现，这一主题中引人注目的新元素出现了。 动态光散射技术将被用来解决这些重要的课题，在手性液晶表现出各种最近发现的铁，反铁，和铁电相，以及在具有扭曲的晶界结构的材料。 铁电液晶和反铁电液晶的有序参数动力学研究是今后的发展方向，铁电液晶和反铁电液晶的研究和教育具有重要的技术意义，因为铁电液晶和反铁电液晶的基础研究被广泛认为是下一代电光器件的重要基础。 在这些类型的基础科学项目上接受培训的学生可能会在这些被视为高风险但具有高经济影响潜力的相关领域面临更多的就业机会。

9904321SpruntThis project is a study of liquid crystalline phases which trace in a virtually step-wise fashion the development out of the liquid phase of the orientational and positional order characteristic of solids. Striking new elements within this theme emerged with the discoveries of ferroelectricity and twist grain boundary phases in liquid crystals. The technique of dynamic light scattering will be used to address these important topics in chiral liquid crystals exhibiting a variety of recently discovered ferro-, antiferro-, and ferrielectric phases, as well as in materials possessing twisted grain boundary structure. As a future direction, the order parameter dynamics of recently discovered achiral ferroelectric liquid crystals will be investigated.Well integrated research and education projects on ferro- and antiferroelectric liquid crystals have high technological significance in that fundamental studies on these materials are widely acknowledged to be providing an important basis for the next-generation electro-optical devices. Students trained on these types of fundamental science projects will likely face enhanced job opportunities in these and related areas viewed as high-risk but high-potential for economic impact.