Abstract
Liquid crystals are complex organic molecular systems that exhibit various mesophases characterized by the degree of order. In this review, we shall focus mainly on thermotropic liquid crystals which exhibit various mesophases in the temperature range between the crystalline and the isotropic liquid states. In particular, we shall discuss the extraordinarily large optical nonlinearities of nematic liquid crystals, as well as the electronic nonlinearities of isotropic-phase liquid crystals. Recent studies have shown that these materials are promising candidates for advanced photonic applications.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Modern Optics, Five-Volume Set |
Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
Pages | 33-42 |
Number of pages | 10 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780123693952 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2004 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Computer Science