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Handbook of Visual Display Technology pp 1343–1361Cite as

Physical Properties of Nematic Liquid Crystals

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Abstract

The physical parameters of nematic liquid crystal materials that are relevant to the operation and optimization of nematic display modes will be presented in this entry. These parameters include the anisotropic refractive indices, dielectric permittivities, elastic constants and viscosities. The a.c. voltage Fréedericksz transition in a planar nematic layer is presented as a case study to illustrate the rôles that these different physical parameters perform in the operation of an electro-optical device.

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Abbreviations

5CB:

4-Pentyl-4′-Cyanobiphenyl

T NI :

Nematic to Isotropic Phase Transition Temperature

\(\Delta n\) :

Birefringence

\(\Delta \epsilon\) :

Dielectric Anisotropy

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Further Reading

  • Dunmur D, Sluckin T (2010) Soap, science, and flat-screen TVs. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN 9780199549405

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  • Khoo I-C (2007) Liquid crystals, 2nd edn. Wiley/Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester. ISBN 9780471751533

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Oswald P, Pieranski P (2005) Nematic and cholesteric liquid crystals concepts and physical properties illustrated by experiments. Taylor & Francis, London. ISBN 9780415321402

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Prost J, Wyart J, Brochard F (2009) P-G de Gennes’ impact in science volume I: solid state and liquid crystals. World Scientific, Singapore. ISBN 9789814273800

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK

    Carl V. Brown

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  1. Carl V. Brown
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Correspondence to Carl V. Brown .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Janglin Chen

  2. Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

    Wayne Cranton

  3. Veritas et Visus, Texas, USA

    Mark Fihn

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Brown, C.V. (2012). Physical Properties of Nematic Liquid Crystals. In: Chen, J., Cranton, W., Fihn, M. (eds) Handbook of Visual Display Technology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-79567-4_84

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