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

一项关于手性液晶的联合研究项目将由科罗拉多大学博尔德分校、瑞典查尔姆斯理工大学和德国斯图加特大学的研究人员共同开展。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。拟议中的欧洲合作伙伴分别由瑞典科学基金会（SSF）和德国研究基金会（DFG）支持，维持类似但互补的手性液晶研究项目。这个材料世界网络项目将发展和加强一个始于1999年的密集联合研究项目，并得到美国国家科学基金会（NSF）对2003年开始的Chalmers/Colorado工作的博士生支持。美国国家科学基金会的支持将加强在液晶前沿研究领域的合作，将三个小组的互补能力结合起来，在项目中追求一种新型极性/手性近晶液晶的基础物理和应用，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造了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、要解决的广泛基础科学问题以及通过三个小组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；以及密切相关的“正圆锥”高倾斜反铁电体。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手性检测。拟议的活动在教育、工业推广和人力资源开发领域的广泛影响将是实质性的，将扩大和加强欧洲和博尔德正在进行的项目。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。该奖项由国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。

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.