| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/S34311/01 |
| Title: |
Investigation of Chiral Liquid Crystals Subjected to Varying External Fields in Restricted Geometries |
| Principal Investigator: |
Osipov, Professor M |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Mathematics and Statistics |
| Organisation: |
University of Strathclyde |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
10 June 2003 |
Ends: |
09 December 2004 |
Value (£): |
22,440
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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The behaviour of chiral liquid crystals (e.g. cholesterics or chiral smectics) when subjected to varying external fields while under the influence of surface anchoring will be investigated. The experimentally observed jump-wise changes of the helicoidal alignment of the liquid crystal director in restricted geometries and the hysteresis of these changes are connected with the surface anchoring and its strength, values of the elastic moduli and the geometrical parameters imposed by confined liquid crystal samples. Detailed theoretical investigations of such problems will be carried out for planar layers of chiral liquid crystals. It is expected that different regimes of behaviour will emerge from the analysis of these chiral materials in the presence of external fields. In particular, evidence of bistability and hysteresis in the behaviour of the helicoidal structure of the liquid crystal layers in an external field ought to be revealed for certain values of a dimensionless parameter that will be introduced to the theory. Numerical calculations will be performed and should confirm the observed effects under high values of the control parameters. These theoretical results will lead to a deeper insight of the associated physical mechanisms involved. The dynamics of the jumps in helical pitch in a layer will be investigated in the context of the director 'slipping over' the anchorino potential. used as a mechanism for the occurrence of the iumDs. The role of thermal director fluctuations in such problems
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.strath.ac.uk |