Materials World Network: Fundamental Physics and Device Challenges of Polar Liquid Crystals

材料世界网络：极性液晶的基础物理和器件挑战

• 批准号: 0603223
• 负责人: Joseph Maclennan
• 金额: $ 31.1万
• 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: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-07-01 至 2010-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0603223&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Materials; World; Network; Fundamental; Physics

A joint program of research in chiral liquid crystals will be carried out by investigators at the University of Colorado, Boulder, the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the University of Stuttgart, Germany. The principal investigators at the University of Colorado have broad combined expertise in the 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 proposed European partners maintain similar yet complementary programs of investigation of chiral liquid crystals, with support from the Swedish Science Foundation (SSF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) respectively. This Materials World Network project will develop and strengthen a program of intensive joint research begun in 1999, with Ph.D. student support from NSF for Chalmers/Colorado work begun in 2003. NSF support will enable enhanced collaboration in an exciting area of forefront liquid crystal research, combining the complementary capabilities of the three groups in projects to pursue the fundamental physics and applications of a novel class of polar/chiral smectic liquid crystals as the principal overall theme. While the three groups have been actively collaborating over the past several years, all with joint publications, the Network creates 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 three 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; and the closely related "orthoconic" high-tilt antiferroelectrics. 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 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 Europe and Boulder. 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 the U.S. and Europe.This award is co-funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering.

一项手性液晶研究的联合计划将由位于博尔德的科罗拉多大学、瑞典查尔默斯科技大学和德国斯图加特大学的研究人员进行。科罗拉多大学的主要研究人员在液晶材料的表征和建模方面拥有广泛的综合专业知识。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。拟议的欧洲合作伙伴保持类似但互补的手性液晶研究计划，分别得到瑞典科学基金会（SSF）和德国研究基金会（DFG）的支持。这个材料世界网络项目将发展和加强一个始于1999年的密集联合研究计划，NSF对查尔默斯/科罗拉多工作学生支持始于2003年。 NSF的支持将加强在前沿液晶研究的一个令人兴奋的领域的合作，结合项目中三个小组的互补能力，以追求基础物理和一类新型极性/手性近晶液晶的应用作为主要的总体主题。 虽然这三个小组在过去几年中一直在积极合作，都有联合出版物，但该网络为手性液晶的前沿研究创建了一个独特而强大的团队。 拟议活动的知识价值来自拟议研究的技术重要性、需要解决的广泛的基本科学问题以及通过三个小组的共同努力所产生的独特和互补的专门知识领域。 重点是异国情调的手性近晶：“V形开关”近晶C的最快速的模拟液晶电光效应;“deVries”材料表现出模拟行为，通过扩展的分子倾斜相关近晶A相;和密切相关的“正交”高倾斜反铁电体。 拟议的研究突出了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。 相应的材料开发将使各种新的应用，包括全息数据存储和手性检测。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巨大的，将扩大和加强欧洲和博尔德正在进行的方案。 初级研究人员和教员的互访将促进文化多样性和参与者的专业发展。 伙伴团体将分享和改编适当的宣传材料，包括K-12科学强化班的模块。待研究的液晶材料是在显示器和光束转向领域中应用的有希望的候选者。博尔德集团拥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分拆商业企业。 考虑到拟议研究的广泛潜在应用，这项合作很可能会导致技术转移到美国和欧洲的私营部门。该奖项由国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。