Articles tagged with Liquid Crystals
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Physicists at Cornell University have finally solved a puzzle that baffled researchers for over a century. Using computer game technology, they discovered the connection between smectics - liquid crystals forming ellipses and hyperbolas - and martensites, a crystalline structure of steel.
A new study suggests that global climate models have underestimated the impact of clouds on warming, leading to lower projections. Clouds and aerosol particles significantly influence atmospheric temperatures, and recent data show that certain ice formation processes are less common than previously thought.
Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed new liquid crystal formulations that enable LCD displays in cars to function in a wider temperature range. The breakthrough allows screens to maintain speed and brightness in extreme environments.
Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a device that enables NMR spectroscopy with hyperpolarized xenon gas to analyze molecular interactions in viscous solutions and fragile materials without disrupting their order. This breakthrough could help improve advanced polymers, filters, catalysts, and liquid-crystal displays.
Scientists from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and University of Amsterdam observed a new phenomenon where 2D crystals premelt into a thin layer of liquid with constant thickness. This discovery challenges current understanding of melting behaviors and suggests that dimensionality plays a crucial role.
Researchers create microrobots that mimic the movement of ciliates, beating filaments propelled by green light. The robots exhibit wave-like movements and can potentially be used for medical applications, such as detecting and curing diseases.
Researchers from Moscow State University have grown organic semiconductor crystals with extremely high light-emitting efficiency, promising a bright future for wet-processed organic optoelectronics. The solution-grown crystals outperform vapor-grown ones in luminescence efficiency and quantum yield.
Researchers developed a process to create a water-loving polymer with structure, opening up possibilities for artificial blood vessels and soft tissue-like mechanical properties. This breakthrough addresses the challenge of balancing hydrogel's water-loving nature with the need for crystallinity.
Researchers have created a new type of liquid crystal elastomer that can precisely emit laser light without mirrors, while being stretched. This innovation could lead to the development of remote sensors and precisely tunable light sources for various applications.
Researchers have developed a new process to grow designer crystals using vapour rather than liquid, enabling the creation of faster and more powerful electronic devices. The method uses metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with extremely large surface areas, allowing for the trapping of other molecules and boosting processing power.
A new rapid test using polarized light can detect a wide range of pathogens, including malaria parasites, HIV, Ebola, diverse bacteria, glucose and cholesterol. The test is extremely fast, inexpensive, and flexible, making it suitable for use in areas with limited laboratory equipment.
The researchers used a bottom-up approach to generate complex shapes, driven by the physical properties of materials. The droplets shape-shifted into various forms through the self-assembly of a plastic crystal phase.
A CSIRO scientist has developed a novel fingerprint detection method that uses ultraviolet (UV) light to reveal latent prints on surfaces. This technique enables faster and more precise analysis, reducing the need for heat and vacuum treatment in laboratories.
Researchers are developing a new eye lens that can adjust focus automatically, using liquid crystals to tackle age-related conditions like presbyopia and cataracts. The lens could be implanted in a quick surgical procedure, offering hope for millions of people affected by these vision problems.
A University of Washington simulation demonstrates the individual crystals' movement in a magma chamber, providing insights into the motion of magma and buildup of pressure. The study helps volcanologists improve their understanding of volcanic systems and predict eruptions more accurately.
Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered a method for assembling molecules within liquid crystal defects, creating miniscule tubing that can direct molecular organization. This technique has potential applications in electronics, medicine, and designing selective membranes.
Researchers developed a novel approach using liquid crystals to detect neuro-degenerative diseases by detecting the protein fibers implicated in their development. The system shows extremely high sensitivity and could enable earlier detection at a lower cost.
Researchers at the Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics found that cold crystallization in liquid crystals occurs through two mechanisms: classical thermodynamics and diffusion. The study reveals a wide range of temperatures where cold crystallization can occur, contrary to previous expectations.
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a method to predict when Yellowstone volcano might erupt again. By analyzing the chemical composition of magma crystals, they found that eruptions can occur within 10 months or 10 years after new magma enters the base of the volcano.
Researchers at UCF developed a technique for creating the world's first full-color, flexible thin-film reflective display inspired by nature. The new method reflects ambient light and can be controlled by voltage, offering potential implications for various electronics and whole new categories of displays.
A recent study reveals that supercooled water does not become completely unstable before turning into ice crystals, thanks to an energy barrier for crystal formation. As temperature drops, liquid water becomes easier to compress, unlike other substances.
Researchers at Penn University developed liquid-crystal-based compound lenses that work like insect eyes, enabling 3D image reconstruction and light polarization sensitivity. The lenses produce images with different focal lengths, allowing for reconstruction of spatial relationships.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a new material that stays liquid at temperatures below its expected freezing point but crystallizes upon writing or rubbing. This unique property makes it highly sensitive to pressure and could lead to breakthroughs in biosensors, optical memory, and electronic devices.
Researchers at Hamburg University of Technology, DESY, and Nestle found that reducing porosity, storing products at ideal temperatures, and controlling crystallization can help minimize fat bloom. This study provides new insights into the formation of fat bloom, an issue affecting millions in the food industry.
Researchers have discovered a new way to harness the defects in liquid crystals to create novel meta-materials with potential applications in optics and electronics. By exploiting these 'defect lines', scientists can remotely interact among colloidal particles, allowing for energy-efficient control and unprecedented plasticity.
A novel liquid crystal technology allows displays to flip between transparent and opaque states, increasing visibility while reducing the need for power. The new design remedies previous problems with scattering and absorption, providing a faster response time and improved energy efficiency.
A new study by the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Milan proposes a novel scenario for the non-biological origins of nucleic acids. The research demonstrates that the spontaneous self-assembly of short DNA fragments can drive the formation of longer polymers, potentially providing a pre-RNA route to the RNA world.
Researchers successfully created and controlled defect pairs in liquid crystals using optical tweezers. This achievement opens the door to controlling light flow using specific frequencies in liquid crystal photonic microdevices, with potential applications in photonics.
Scientists have developed a thermomagnetic processing method that controls the orientation of molecules in liquid crystalline epoxy resins. This leads to highly aligned structures with near-zero coefficient of thermal expansion, potentially enabling new structural designs and functional composites.
Researchers found that metal nanoparticles appear to be liquid droplets on the outside but maintain a stable crystal configuration within. This phenomenon, known as Coble pseudoelasticity, could impact nanotechnology applications.
A new wearable medical device can quickly alert a person to cardiovascular trouble or skin dryness, using thousands of liquid crystals to sense heat. The device provides sub-millimeter spatial resolution for accurate monitoring of temperature and thermal transport characteristics.
Researchers from Penn and HKUST discovered a surprising mechanism facilitating one of the two main routes for solid-solid transitions. The process involves the parent phase producing liquid droplets, which then evolve into the daughter phase, revealing new insight into material development and natural processes.
A new study at UC Berkeley reveals that people perform better with tactile technology when using multiple fingers and hands, especially for visually impaired participants who outmaneuvered their sighted counterparts
Researchers at UC Riverside have developed liquid crystals that can be controlled by an external magnetic field, enabling novel display applications and anti-counterfeit technology. The discovery paves the way for remote operation without electrodes or expensive materials.
Researchers found temperature and concentration effects on physical properties of combined materials, including tilt angle, polarisation, response time, and dielectric relaxation. Increasing nanotube concentration enhances certain properties but slows down others.
A team of researchers from Princeton University and Washington University in St. Louis has identified a new state of matter known as disordered hyperuniformity in the eyes of chickens. This arrangement of cells in the eye exhibits properties of both crystal and liquid states, allowing for unique optical properties
Researchers developed a new form of soft matter that moves and reshapes itself in response to external stimuli, storing energy like living organisms. This 'living liquid crystal' holds promise for improving early disease detection, monitoring biological processes, and creating microfluidic biological sensors.
Researchers have discovered a type of liquid crystal that dissolves in water, holding potential for biomedical applications. When placed in water droplets and oil, the liquid crystals exhibit unique behavior, transforming water droplets into faceted gemstones.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a method to grow liquid crystal 'flowers' using silica beads as templates, creating a lens-like structure with potential applications in optics and optoelectronics. The new approach demonstrates directed assembly and paves the way for the creation of custom optical components.
The University of Pennsylvania researchers have developed a new tool to direct the assembly of particles and materials using elastic energy. This technique, combined with a new template design, allows for the creation of complex patterns and structures. The team's findings could lead to breakthroughs in fields such as displays, sensors...
Researchers used brain imaging and fossil evidence to confirm earlier studies on somatotopic maps in humans and monkeys. Early hominids evolved dexterous fingers when still quadrupeds, while bipedal locomotion led to a separate adaptation of the big toe for balance control.
Researchers at the Institute of Physical Chemistry found that molecular motors generate only 3.5•10^-28 joule per rotation, a value ten million times lower than thermal motion energy. Despite low individual power, collective rotations can achieve higher energies, making it possible for these molecules to find practical applications.
Dartmouth researchers have developed a pH-activated molecular switch that controls the assembly of a commercially available liquid crystal, changing its readout color from purple to green. This technology may help detect harmful gases, pathogens, and explosives.
University of Warwick researchers have successfully tied liquid crystals into knots using a miniature Möbius strip made from silica particles. The study, published in PNAS, explores the potential applications of these intricate knotted fields in designing new metamaterials and photonic devices.
Researchers at Georgia Tech create toroidal shapes to investigate liquid crystal materials' behavior and properties. The unique geometry allows for precise control over the shape's size and curvature, enabling experiments that were previously impossible.
Researchers at Rice University have discovered a way to create liquid crystals from negatively charged carbon nanotubes, allowing for easier functionalization and potentially leading to stronger, more conductive fibers. This breakthrough could significantly improve the creation of macro materials out of microscopic nanotubes.
Rice University researchers have discovered that the liquid crystal phase of silicone becomes significantly stiffer when subjected to repeated compression. This breakthrough could lead to new strategies for self-healing materials, as well as biocompatible materials that mimic human tissues. The stiffening effect is reversible and occur...
Researcher Peter Vekilov will test his theories on crystal formation in space, studying how liquids transform into crystals. His work could lead to more efficient large-scale production methods.
Computer simulations face challenges when applied to systems of finite size, such as those in crystal or liquid crystals. Additionally, some methods may not accurately compute thermal properties like entropy.
Scientists have found a new dynamic process in liquid crystal cells triggered by strong electric fields. The theory of spatio-temporal chaos explains this effect, which affects the electro-optic switching phenomenon used in devices.
Scientists have created a way to produce crystalline silicon directly at just 180 F by using liquid metal, offering a more efficient and environmentally friendly process. The new method has the potential to significantly reduce production costs and make alternative semiconductors more viable for solar energy applications.
Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania have created a new way to direct the assembly of liquid crystals, generating small features that spontaneously arrange in arrays based on much larger templates. By altering the geometry of molecules on a physical template, researchers can produce subtle changes in defect patterns.
Researchers have developed a framework for creating new materials by applying mathematical theorems to liquid crystal mediums. This approach could lead to improved energy efficiency in display devices, such as laptops and TVs.
University of Massachusetts Amherst mathematician Robert Kusner explains the observed
Researchers at MIT have discovered a new type of magnetism called quantum spin liquid, which exhibits constant magnetic orientation fluctuations resembling those of molecules in a true liquid. The discovery has significant implications for data storage and communications technologies.
Sir John Ball received the SIAM John von Neumann Lecture award for his pioneering work on existence theorems and constitutive models in nonlinear elasticity. He delivered a lecture on Liquid Crystals for Mathematicians, explaining the math behind this multi-billion dollar industry.
Researchers used lithography to create achiral particles that spontaneously formed chiral super-structures with distinct orientations. Entropy played a key role in the emergence of chirality, contradicting traditional views on disorder and order. The discovery sheds new light on the physical origins of molecular handedness.
Scientists discovered that liquid crystals can spontaneously create nanoscale morphologies, leading to new classes of materials with unique properties. This breakthrough could lead to advancements in fields such as biosecurity, healthcare, and biology research.
The Optical Society published a Focus Issue on Liquid Crystal Materials for Photonic Applications, showcasing breakthroughs in reversible phototuning of lasing frequency and polymer-stabilized blue-phase liquid crystals. These advancements have significant implications for next-generation displays and optical devices.
Researchers found that water changes its molecular structure to form 'intermediate ice' at -55 F, allowing it to remain liquid below the traditional freezing point. The discovery sheds light on atmospheric scientists' need to predict global climate patterns and how much solar radiation is absorbed by atmospheric water and ice.