Projects / Programmes
Dinamika prostorsko omejenih tekočih kristalov (Slovene)
Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
1.02.01 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Physics |
Physics of condesed matter |
Code |
Science |
Field |
P260 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic and optical properties, supraconductors, magnetic resonance, relaxation, spectroscopy |
liquid crystals, molecular dynamics, nuclear magnetic resonance, liquid crystal displays (LCD)
Researchers (13)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
Dynamic properties of microconfined liquid crystals are investigated in a broad frequency range by theoretical and experimental methods (NMR and optical). The results of the project for the year 1998 are described in 7 papers in scientific journals, in several contributions presented at international conferences, and in one patent. They include a new approach to measure the surface order parameter in liquid crystal dispersions where the standard NMR method fails. The new approach - based on NMR relaxometry of deuterium nuclei - allowed the first determination of the surface order parameter in a PDLC material. The modes of liquid crystal collective fluctuations have been calculated in the presence of orienting and disorienting surfaces. It is shown that the soft mode is related to the fluctuations in the thickness of the ordered surface layer in the isotropic phase, and can be tested by evanescent light scattering. Finally, three important phenomena - related to the application of liquid crystals to displays and optical shutters - have been investigated: optical phase retardation in a hybrid nematic cell, the localization of a twisted distortion induced by the surface ordering, and the influence of surface topology on chevron defects in ferroelectric liquid crystal cells.