Liquid Crystals in Hyper-Complex Fluid Systems

该项目的目标是对基于液晶的复杂材料的基础物理和化学的新方面进行理论和实验研究。以下三个领域将被强调：具有非常特殊的机械、电光、机械光学和压电性能的向列相和胆甾凝胶和弹性体；铁电微晶- c *相薄膜，其重要的弹性性能在纳米尺度上由集体静电和离子屏蔽性能主导；以及不寻常的近晶相，其中近晶A相的分子组织导致近晶A到C相附近的性能得到高度增强。这些材料中的许多都有潜在的新应用，包括机械传感器和执行器，新型可调谐激光器和改进的显示设备。参与本研究的学生和博士后将为进入高科技应用领域以及从事教学和研究工作做好准备。传统上，大学的研究项目涉及各种各样的学生，包括高中学生和各个层次的少数民族学生。这项研究还跨越了许多学科，通过扩大传统领域的边界来激发创造力。这个项目涉及一些基于液晶的不寻常材料的基础物理学研究，液晶是介于液体和固体之间的物质。我们熟悉的笔记本电脑上的液晶显示器（LCD）只是这些迷人材料的重要应用之一。随着这些材料的基本配方中添加了新的特性，新的基础物理问题也随之出现，本研究旨在探索这些问题，以便对这些材料有一个良好的了解，从而有效地利用它们。例如，新型激光器可以用作机械和热条件变化的远程传感器，而不需要将电线直接连接到正在研究的系统。大学环境下的研究具有让各个层次的学生参与的优势，包括高中生、本科生、研究生和博士后，并为他们从事教学、基础研究和基于所研究材料的新技术的工业应用做好准备。该研究还涉及理论和实验，跨越物理、化学和材料科学，以一种激发创造力的方式将广泛学科的研究人员联系起来

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.***