NSF-Europe: Joint FLCMRC/LICRYL Research on Advanced Liquid Crystalline Materials

NSF-欧洲：FLCMRC/LICRYL 先进液晶材料联合研究

• 批准号: 0302060
• 负责人: Noel Clark
• 金额: $ 100万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-08-01 至 2007-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0302060&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Europe; Joint; FLCMRC; LICRYL

A joint program of research between the Liquid Crystal Laboratory (LICRYL) at the University of Calabria, Italy's largest liquid crystal (LC) research center, and the Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center (FLCMRC) at the University of Colorado in Boulder, an NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), is proposed. The requested funding will enable scientific collaboration on a broad range of forefront liquid crystal research, combining the complementary capabilities of the two Centers into an entity uniquely capable of advancing LC and soft matter science and technology. The collective research expertise will be brought to bear on projects having liquid crystal - light and liquid crystal - interface interactions as the principal overall themes, addressing such key problems as the alignment and anchoring of smectics on surfaces, an area of great technical importance, and the photo-alignment of liquid crystals, a promising route to the development of photo-addressed devices. The intellectual merit of the proposed activity derives from the technological importance of the proposed research, the broad range of fundamental scientific questions to be addressed, and the unique and complementary areas of expertise brought to bear through the joint efforts of the two Centers. The exchange of graduate students will expose young scientists to different research cultures and provide them with technical training in cutting-edge research techniques. The educational benefits of the program will extend beyond the graduate researchers to K-12 students served through the Centers' outreach programs. Given the wide variety of potential applications of the proposed research, it is likely that this collaboration will engender technology transfer to the private sector both in the U.S. and in Italy.%%%The Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center (FLCMRC) at the University of Colorado in Boulder, an NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), is proposing a joint program of research with the Liquid Crystal Laboratory (LICRYL) at the University of Calabria, Italy's largest liquid crystal (LC) research center. The FLCMRC, which is one of the principal centers of liquid crystal expertise in the US and a unique venue worldwide for research on polarity and chirality and their interplay in condensed phases, will use this funding to further develop and enhance a program of joint research and Ph.D. student support begun with Calabria in 1997. The Centers will collaborate on a broad range of forefront liquid crystal research, combining their complementary research capabilities into an entity uniquely capable of advancing liquid crystal and soft matter science and technology, with an emphasis on understanding liquid crystal - substrate interactions and on developing novel optically addressed devices. The broader impacts of the proposed activity in the areas of education and industrial outreach and human resource development will be substantial, augmenting and enhancing ongoing programs at the two Centers such as the CU/UC International Ph.D. Program and the FLCMRC's highly successful Materials Science from CU program of K-12 science enrichment classes. The planned exchange of graduate students provides a unique opportunity for the professional development and cultural enrichment of young researchers, both inside and outside the laboratory. The Centers both have track records of substantive technology transfer, including spin-off commercial ventures producing liquid crystal display products and scientific equipment. Given the wide variety of potential applications of the proposed research, it is likely that this collaboration will engender technology transfer to the private sector both in the U.S. and in Italy in novel LC applications areas of high interest such as ultranonlinear optics, photorefractive effects, device structures created by photopolymerization, and ultra-low power bistable nematic display cells.

卡拉布里亚大学的液晶实验室（LICRYL），意大利最大的液晶（LC）研究中心，和位于博尔德的科罗拉多大学的铁电液晶材料研究中心（FLCMRC），NSF资助的材料研究科学与工程中心（MRSEC），提出了一个联合研究计划。所申请的资金将使科学合作在广泛的前沿液晶研究，结合两个中心的互补能力，成为一个实体，独特的能力，推进液晶和软物质科学和技术。集体研究的专业知识将被带到承担项目有液晶-光和液晶-界面相互作用作为主要的整体主题，解决这样的关键问题，如表面上的smectics的对齐和锚定，一个非常重要的技术领域，以及液晶的光对齐，一个有前途的路线，以发展光寻址设备。拟议活动的智力价值来自拟议研究的技术重要性、需要解决的广泛的基础科学问题以及通过两个中心的共同努力所带来的独特和互补的专门知识领域。研究生交流将使青年科学家接触不同的研究文化，并为他们提供尖端研究技术方面的技术培训。该计划的教育效益将超越研究生研究人员，通过中心的外展计划为K-12学生提供服务。考虑到拟议研究的各种潜在应用，这项合作很可能会导致技术转让给美国和意大利的私营部门。位于博尔德的科罗拉多大学的铁电液晶材料研究中心（FLCMRC）是一个由NSF资助的材料研究科学与工程中心（MRSEC），该中心正在与意大利最大的液晶（LC）研究中心卡拉布里亚大学的液晶实验室（LICRYL）提出一项联合研究计划。FLCMRC是美国液晶专业知识的主要中心之一，也是全球研究极性和手性及其在凝聚相中相互作用的独特场所，它将利用这笔资金进一步发展和加强联合研究计划。1997年开始在卡拉布里亚提供学生支助。 这些中心将在广泛的前沿液晶研究领域进行合作，将其互补的研究能力结合到一个能够推进液晶和软物质科学技术的实体中，重点是了解液晶-基板相互作用和开发新型光学寻址器件。拟议活动在教育和工业推广以及人力资源开发领域的广泛影响将是实质性的，扩大和加强两个中心正在进行的项目，如CU/UC国际博士学位。计划和FLCMRC的非常成功的材料科学从CU计划的K-12科学充实类。计划中的研究生交流为实验室内外的年轻研究人员的专业发展和文化丰富提供了一个独特的机会。这两个中心都有大量技术转让的记录，包括生产液晶显示器产品和科学设备的附带商业企业。 考虑到拟议研究的各种潜在应用，很可能这种合作将在美国和意大利的高兴趣的新型LC应用领域，如超非线性光学，光折变效应，通过光聚合创建的器件结构和超低功率液晶显示单元中产生技术转移到私营部门。