Liquid crystal

Liquid Crystal

Liquid crystals are a state of matter that has properties between those of conventional liquids and those of solid crystals. For instance, a liquid crystal may flow like a liquid, but its molecules may be oriented in a crystal-like way. There are many different types of liquid crystal states, which can be distinguished by their different optical properties (such as birefringence).

History

The existence of the liquid crystal state was first recognized by the Austrian botanist Friedrich Reinitzer in 1888. He discovered that cholesteryl benzoate, a compound extracted from carrots, had two distinct melting points. At the first melting point, the compound became a cloudy liquid, and at the second melting point, it cleared up and became a transparent liquid.

Types of Liquid Crystals

There are three common types of liquid crystals: nematic, smectic, and cholesteric (or chiral nematic). Each type has a different arrangement of molecules and different optical properties.

Nematic Liquid Crystals

In the nematic phase, the molecules are aligned in parallel but are not arranged in well-defined planes. This is the simplest type of liquid crystal, and it is the type most commonly used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs).

Smectic Liquid Crystals

In the smectic phase, the molecules are aligned in parallel and are also arranged in well-defined planes. There are several different types of smectic phases, which are distinguished by the different arrangements of the planes.

Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

In the cholesteric phase, the molecules are aligned in parallel, but they are arranged in a helical structure. This type of liquid crystal is used in some types of liquid crystal thermometers.

Applications

Liquid crystals have many applications. They are used in liquid crystal displays, which are used in a wide variety of electronic devices such as televisions, computer monitors, and digital clocks. They are also used in liquid crystal thermometers, and in the field of liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) technology.

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