Microscopic Transmission Ellipsometry (MTE) studies of phase transitions in Liquid Crystals

You can see the work done in the spring of 2006 here

And the update from the fall 06 for the APS March meeting here

Lab work images 1 2 3 4 5 6

More about Microscopic Transmission Ellipsometry

About the latest most exciting developments in Sceince read here

The independent study students will be using the Microscopic Transmission Ellipsometer built during the previous semester for studying of birefringence in liquid crystals and polymer liquid crystals, also blends of liquid crystals with carbon nanotubes and measuring conductance through the sample cell. This semester we will focus primarily on experiment design, data taking, processing and interpretation with the already built MTE optical system. Also we will be making new improvements, new liquid crystal sample cells, computer recording of the change in the optical properties and writing programs for image processing to calculate the phase shift and azimuthal angle of the electromagnetic radiation passing through the liquid crystalline sample.

Topics from Liquid Crystal Physics: molecular structure and anisotropy, order parameter, interaction of the liquid crystals with the electric field, Freedericksz transition, phase transitions of thermotropic liquid crystals, and others will be discussed, as well as interaction between liquid crystalline molecules and carbon nanotubes and the order parameter of Nanopolymer chains in a film.

A presentation at the annual March Meeting of the American Physical Society will communicate the progress and new findings obtained in the research.