Liquid crystals

摘要

LIQUID crystals have come into prominence in last decade mainly on account of their wide use in flat panels of TVs, Computer Monitors, Smart Phones Displays, Touch Screen, Table Computers etc. However , the discovery of liquid crystals goes back to 1888 when Austrian botanical physiologist Friedrich Reinitzer working at Charles University in Prague, examined the physico-chemical properties of various derivatives of cholesterol, now known as cholesteric liquid crystals. 3 important features of cholesteric liquid crystals were discussed by him viz. the existence of two melting points, reflection of circularly polarized light and the ability to rotate the polarization direction of light. His work was followed by German chemist Daniel Vorlander. He, by 1935 had synthesized most of the liquid crystals known. Commercialisation of the discovery started in 1962 at RCA Laboratories who started development of flat panel electronic displays. Very soon, these panels replaced cathode ray vacuum tube in televisions. LCD use in electronic products designing was started in 1973. It led to winning of Nobel Prize by Pierre-Gilles de Gennes in 1991. Around 1994, the utility of liquid crystals was realised vide target 2020 scenario projected for interface reproduced below.