Liquid Crystals Beyond Displays

The chemistry, physics, and applications of liquid crystals beyond LCDs Liquid Crystals (LCs) combine order and mobility on a molecular and supramolecular level. But while these remarkable states of matter are most commonly associated with visual display technologies, they have important applications for a variety of other fields as well. Liquid Crystals Beyond Displays: Chemistry, Physics, and Applications considers these, bringing together cutting-edge research from some of the most promising areas of LC science. Featuring contributions from respected researchers from around the globe, this edited volume emphasizes the chemistry, physics, and applications of LCs in areas such as photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes, filed-effect transistors, lasers, molecular motors, nanophotonics and biosensors. Specific chapters look at magnetic LCs, lyotropic chromonic LCs, LC-based chemical sensors, LCs in metamaterials, and much more. Introducing readers to the fundamentals of LC science through the use of illustrative examples, Liquid Crystals Beyond Displays covers not only the most recent research in the myriad areas in which LCs are being utilized, but also looks ahead, addressing potential future developments. Designed for physicists, chemists, engineers, and biologists working in academia or industry, as well as graduate students specializing in LC technology, this is the first book to consider LC applications across a wide range of fields.

Liquid Crystal Devices are crucial and ubiquitous components of an ever-increasing number of technologies. They are used in everything from cellular phones, eBook readers, GPS devices, computer monitors and automotive displays to projectors and TVs, to name but a few. This second edition continues to serve as an introductory guide to the fundamental properties of liquid crystals and their technical application, while explicating the recent advancements within LCD technology. This edition includes important new chapters on blue-phase display technology, advancements in LCD research significantly contributed to by the authors themselves. This title is of particular interest to engineers and researchers involved in display technology and graduate students involved in display technology research. Key features: Updated throughout to reflect the latest technical state-of-the-art in LCD research and development, including new chapters and material on topics such as the properties of blue-phase liquid crystal displays and 3D liquid crystal displays; Explains the link between the fundamental scientific principles behind liquid crystal technology and their application to photonic devices and displays, providing a thorough understanding of the physics, optics, electro-optics and material aspects of Liquid Crystal Devices; Revised material reflecting developments in LCD technology, including updates on optical modelling methods, transmissive LCDs and tunable liquid crystal photonic devices; Chapters conclude with detailed homework problems to further cement an understanding of the topic.

Liquid crystals have attracted scientific attention for potential applications in advanced devices. Display technology is continuously growing and expanding and, as such, this book provides an overview of the most recent advances in liquid crystals and displays. Chapters cover such topics as nematic liquid crystals, active matrix organic light-emitting diodes, and tetradentate platinum(II) emitters, among others.

This book focuses on the development of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and liquid crystal materials (LCs) in Japan. The Committee of Organic Materials Research for Information Sciences of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) planned the book to document essential LCD innovations and developments since the beginnings of the field-effect LCD technology in 1970. The book illustrates the remarkable effort and progress behind those flat, lightweight, and high-information-content LCDs that have become the indispensable human–machine interface for virtually all electronic devices. In contrast to other publications on this topic, the book illustrates the interdisciplinary character of the LCD technology and its crucial importance for technological progress of the field far beyond displays. It also gives insights into breakthrough innovations not revealed in other publications. Moreover, prospects for the development of LC research toward new fields of applications are provided. In line with its interdisciplinary character, the book targets researchers in basic science as well as engineers and researchers in industry.

Liquid Crystal Sensors discusses novel applications of liquid crystals that lie beyond electrically driven optical switches and displays. The main focus is on recent progress in the area of sensors based on low molar mass and polymer liquid crystals. This area of research became "hot" in recent years since the possibilities for applications of liquid crystal sensors are growing in many areas, ranging from the detection of mechanical displacements to the detection of environmental pollutants and chemical agents. This book is well-suited for students, as well as scientists from different backgrounds. For students and researchers new to the field, it gives a thorough introduction. For experienced researchers it shows the latest breakthroughs and serves as an inspiration for solving problems or sparking new ideas. Key Features: Emphasizes how liquid crystals are extremely sensitive to external stimuli and therefore can be used for the construction of stimuli-responsive devices, such as sensors Includes the contributions of editors who are deeply involved in the field and author chapters on hot topics such as the sensitivity of liquid crystals to pollutants, UV light, and strain Provides an exclusive on LC sensors where having the data in one place will be very useful to the community Gives more information on sensors and broadens the scope by having a contributed volume rather than authored Combines recent data on advances in the area of liquid crystal sensors that includes many types of liquid crystal materials

The terms 'liquid crystal' or 'liquid crystal display' (LCD) are recognized in the context of flat-screen televisions, but the properties and history of liquid crystals are little known. This book tells the story of liquid crystals, from their controversial discovery at the end of the nineteenth century, to their eventual acceptance as another state of matter to rank alongside gases, liquids, and solids. As their story unfolds, the scientists involved and their works are put into illuminating broader socio-political contexts. In recent years, liquid crystals have had a major impact on the display industry, culminating in the now widely available flat-screen televisions. This development is described in detail over three chapters, and the basic science behind it is explained in simple terms accessible to a general reader. New applications of liquid crystals in materials, biosystems, medicine, and technology are also explained. The authors' approach to the subject defines a new genre of popular science books. The historical background to the scientific discoveries is given in detail, and the personal communications between the scientists involved are explored. The book tells the story of liquid crystals, but it also shows that scientific discovery and exploitation relies on human interactions, and the social and political environments in which they operate.

This book is a collection of 13 articles, written by experts, on different aspects of the physics and applications of liquid crystals. In addition to giving self-contained review articles with good bibliography, the authors have discussed the anticipated or highly important and desirable breakthroughs in the near future in their respective fields. The book should provide readers with a good starting point, insight, and an indicator of what current important problems are. Good researchers should benefit in fine tuning their efforts to test the ideas put forward by the authors. Contents:Anisotropy of the Nematic-Smectic A Phase Transition (B S Andereck)Thermal Investigations of Phase Transitions in Thermotropic Liquid Crystals (J Thoen)Numerical Studies of Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena in Liquid Crystals (C Dasgupta)High-Resolution Calorimetric Studies at Phase Transitions of Alkylcyanobiphenyl Liquid Crystals Confined to Submicron Size Cylindrical Cavities (D Finotello & G S Iannacchione)Physical Properties of Thin Substrate-Free Liquid-Crystal Films (T Stoebe & C C Huang)Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals: From the Plane Wave to the Multisoliton Limit (I Muševic et al.)The Optical Properties of Chiral Liquid Crystals (K A Suresh)Patterns in Thin Liquid Crystal Films and the Divergence (“Surfacelike”) Elasticity (O D Lavrentovich & V M Pergamenshchik)Liquid Crystal Defects in a Magnetic Field (G S Ranganath)Saddle-Splay Elasticity in Nematic Liquid Crystals (G P Crawford & Zumer)Rheology and Rheo-Optics of Polymer Liquid Crystals (M Srinivasarao)Recent Advances and Future Directions of NMR Spectroscopy of Molecules Oriented in Liquid Crystals (C L Khetrapal)Improvement of the Viewing Angle for Display Devices with Grey Scale (P J Bos) Readership: Physicists and chemists active in the field of liquid crystals. keywords: “The collection of papers provides a comprehensive review for experimentalists and theoreticians who are interested in the latest developments in the field of thermotropic liquid crystals.” Zeitschrift für Kristallographie