Liquid Crystal Devices: Physics and Applications

Select more accurate liquid crystal (LC) mixtures for various applications and design better performing liquid crystal devices (LCD)s in less time with this practical resource that provides an expert account of the fundamental physics of LCs and its practical application to device design. Liquid Crystal Devices: Physics and Applications provides engineers, physicists, and device designers with the most up-to-date descriptions of the dielectric, optical, and viscoelastic properties of LCs, including their relation to molecular structure, mixture content, and material characteristics. The book gives you the knowledge needed to optimize LC cell geometry, select proper display configurations, and develop non-display applications such as optical data processing systems and surface defect detectors. Key topics include: Flat Panel Displays, LCDs with diodes, and thin film transistors' active elements; Electrically controlled birefringence, twist and supertwist effects, the guest-host effect in LC mixtures with dichroic dyes, bistability switching and optical memory in ferroelectric and antiferroelectic liquid crystals, and light scattering in polymer dispersed liquid crystal films; The connection between basic macroscopic properties of liquid crystals with - multiplexing capability, controlling voltages, optical contrast, response times, optical memory, and color switching; LC applications in non-display devices, LC elements of optical data processing systems, detectors of surface defects, temperature gradients, and acoustic sensors; Supertwist-Nematic (STN-LCDs), reflective cholesteric and polymer-dispersed LCDs, projection display systems, and the photo-aligning technique.