GOALI: Depoloarized Resonant X-ray Scattering from Various Liquid Crystal Phases

9901739 Huang这个GOALI项目的目的是以一种新的方式应用共振X射线散射来表征在两种不同的液晶化合物中发现的各种手性近晶-C相的结构。 我们的目标是提高实验分辨率，以获得更高质量的数据和更详细的结构信息。 此外，至少有两个新的实验方法将进行测试和实施，包括在液晶薄膜样品的取向电场的原位应用，并在较高的共振能量的技术延伸到含有原子的液晶。 在后一种情况下，可以直接用器件单元研究液晶。%仪器开发在技术进步中起着至关重要的作用。 开发硬件和分析工具以应用共振X射线散射来测量液晶中的取向相关性可以应用于各种各样的其他系统，例如，沉积在金属或半导体表面上的有机薄膜，有机材料能够直接在器件单元内进行研究。 这是一个高度多学科和综合性的研究和教育项目，涉及明尼苏达大学和朗讯科技之间的合作，具有强大的国际组成部分。 它由多学科活动办公室和材料研究司共同资助。

9901739HuangThe aim of this GOALI project is to apply resonant x-ray scattering in a novel way to characterize the structure of various chiral smectic-C phases found in two different liquid-crystal compounds. The goal is to increase the experimental resolution to obtain higher quality data and more detailed structural information. In addition, at least two new experimental approaches will be tested and implemented, including the in-situ application of aligning electric fields to the liquid-crystal film samples, and the extension of the technique to liquid crystals containing atoms at higher resonance energies. In the latter case, the liquid crystals can be directly studied with device cells.%%%Instrumentation development plays a crucial role in advancing technology. Developing the hardware and analysis tools to apply resonant x-ray scattering to measure orientational correlations in liquid crystals can be applied to a wide variety of other systems, e.g., organic thin films deposited on metal or semiconductor surfaces, with the organic materials able to be studied directly within device cells. This is a highly multidisciplinary and well integrated research and education project involving a collaboration between the University of Minnesota and Lucent Technologies, with a strong international component. It is jointly funded by the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities and the Division of Materials Resesarch.