Fundamentals and applications of ferro- and antiferroelectric liquid crystals - the physics and chemistry of "de Vries"-type materials

科罗拉多大学博尔德分校、瑞典查尔姆斯理工大学、德国斯图加特大学、加拿大女王大学和英国斯特拉斯克莱德大学的研究人员提出了一项手性/极性液晶快速模拟光电研究联合计划。科罗拉多大学的主要研究人员在液晶材料的合成、表征和建模方面拥有广泛的专业知识。他们在多个研究项目中合作，包括多学科液晶材料研究中心（LCMRC）， NSF MRSEC。LCMRC是世界上研究极性和手性及其在凝聚相中的相互作用的独特场所。拟议中的材料世界网络合作伙伴在各自国家资助机构的支持下，保持着类似但互补的手性液晶研究项目。该提案要求支持扩大与Chalmers和斯图加特的密集联合材料研究项目，该项目始于1999年，并于2006年获得材料世界网络的资助。随着合成和理论研究的增加，所申请的资金将加强在液晶前沿研究领域的合作，将合作伙伴团队在追求模拟极性/手性近晶液晶的基础科学和应用作为主要总体主题的项目中的互补能力结合起来。虽然在过去的几年里，MWN合作伙伴的各种组合一直在单独合作，都有联合出版物，但提议的网络将为手性液晶的前沿研究创造一个独特的强大团队。拟议活动的智力价值来自于拟议研究的技术重要性、要解决的广泛的基本科学问题以及通过伙伴团体的共同努力所带来的独特和互补的专门知识领域。重点研究了奇异的手性微晶：具有最快速模拟液晶电光效应的“v形开关”微晶C；“deVries”材料通过在近晶A相中扩展的分子倾斜关系表现出类似的行为；密切相关的“正圆锥”高倾斜反铁电体；以及具有极性近晶a相位的弯芯液晶，其只提供相位电光调制。提出的研究重点是对这些行为之间关系的基础研究，对新型液晶系统的研究，以及对软材料科学各个领域的影响。相应的材料开发将实现各种新颖的应用，包括全息数据存储和投影，光束转向和手性检测。拟议活动在教育、工业推广和人力资源开发领域的广泛影响将是实质性的，扩大和加强博尔德和合作机构正在进行的项目。青年研究人员和教师的互访将促进文化多样性和参与者的专业发展。合作小组将分享和调整适当的推广材料，包括K-12科学丰富课程的模块。所研究的液晶材料在显示和光束控制领域有很好的应用前景。博尔德集团有大量技术转让的记录，包括生产液晶显示产品和科学设备的分拆商业企业。考虑到拟议研究的广泛潜在应用，这种合作很可能会导致技术转移到美国和欧洲的私营部门。关于拟议的国际材料世界互动和预期收益的进一步信息在本提案末尾的补充文件部分进行了讨论。

A joint program of research in chiral/polar liquid crystals showing fast analog electrooptics is proposed between investigators at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, the University of Stuttgart, Germany, Queen’s University, Canada, and the University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom.The principal investigators at the University of Colorado have broad combined expertise in the synthesis, characterization and modeling of liquid crystal materials. They collaborate in several research projects, including the multidisciplinary Liquid Crystal Materials Research Center (LCMRC), an NSF MRSEC. The LCMRC is a unique venue worldwide for research on polarity and chirality and their interplay in condensed phases. The proposed Materials World Network partners maintain similar yet complementary programs of investigation of chiral liquid crystals, with support from their national funding agencies.This proposal requests support to broaden a program of intensive joint materials research with Chalmers and Stuttgart begun in 1999, and funded as a Materials World Network in 2006. With the addition of synthetic and theoretical thrusts, the requested funding will enable enhanced collaboration in an exciting area of forefront liquid crystal research, combining the complementary capabilities of the partner groups in projects that pursue the fundamental science and applications of analog polar/chiral smectic liquid crystals as the principal overall theme. While various combinations of the MWN partners have been collaborating separately over the past several years, all with joint publications, the proposed Network will create a uniquely powerful team for forefront research on chiral liquid crystals.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 partner groups. The focus is on exotic chiral smectics: the "V-shaped switching" smectic C's with the most rapid analog liquid crystal electro-optic effects; the "deVries" materials exhibiting analog behavior via extended molecular tilt correlations in the smectic A phase; the closely related "orthoconic" high-tilt antiferroelectrics; and bent-core liquid crystals with a polar smectic A phase that give phase-only electrooptic modulation. The proposed research highlights fundamental studies of the relationships of these behaviors, investigations of novel liquid crystal systems with ramifications for a variety of areas in soft materials science. The corresponding materials development will enable a variety of novel applications, including holographic data storage and projection, beam steering, and chirality detection.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 in Boulder and the partner institutions. Exchange visits of junior researchers and faculty will promote cultural diversity and the professional development of the participants. The partner groups will share and adapt appropriate outreach materials, including modules for K-12 science enrichment classes. The liquid crystal materials to be investigated are promising candidates for applications in the areas of displays and optical beam steering. The Boulder group has a track record 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 America and Europe.Further information on the proposed International Materials World interaction and anticipated benefits are discussed in the Supplementary Documents section at the end of this proposal.