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Liquid Crystals

3
Open Unknowns
0
Cross-Domain Bridges
3
Active Hypotheses

Open Unknowns (3)

Unknown How do topological defects in active liquid crystals (bacterial suspensions, cytoskeletal networks) couple to spontaneous flow ΓÇâ and can the defect-flow dynamics be controlled to direct active matter transport for synthetic biology or materials applications? u-active-liquid-crystal-topology-flow-coupling
Unknown Can Frank elastic constants K₁, Kβ‚‚, K₃ be predicted from molecular structure alone (molecular dynamics + density functional theory) without fitting to experimental Freedericksz data? u-liquid-crystals-frank-elasticity
Unknown How large are the fluctuation corrections to Maier-Saupe mean-field theory for the isotropic-nematic transition, and do they change the transition from first-order to continuous in confined or low-molecular-weight nematics? u-nematic-ordering-fluctuation-corrections-maier-saupe

Active Hypotheses

Hypothesis Cholesteric liquid crystal structural color can be used to create angle-independent, tunable, zero-energy color displays and anti-counterfeiting features by controlling pitch through temperature, electric field, or chiral dopant concentration ΓÇâ with reflectance matching or exceeding conventional pigment displays. medium
Hypothesis Machine learning models trained on DFT-computed molecular dipole anisotropy, aspect ratio, and polarizability will predict Frank elastic constants K₁, Kβ‚‚, K₃ with RMSE < 20% on a test set of 30 liquid crystal compounds medium
Hypothesis Confinement of nematic liquid crystals in cylindrical pores below a critical diameter d* ~ 20-50 nm changes the isotropic-nematic transition from first-order to continuous (second-order) by enhancing orientational fluctuations that reduce the cubic Landau coefficient b to zero; this is detectable by calorimetry as disappearance of latent heat below d*. medium

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Generated 2026-06-21 Β· USDR Dashboard