M. Sc. (Physics):Liquid Crystals: Physics and Display -- Applications

First Semester


Classical Mechanics
Statistical Mechanics
Quantum Mechanics
Mathematical Physics
Physics Lab I
Fundamentals of Computer Science and C Programming


Second Semester

Condensed Matter Physics
Experimental Techniques in Physics
Atomic and Molecular Physics
Electrodynamics
Electronics
Physics Lab II


Third Semester

Particle Physics
Nuclear Physics
Semiconductor Physics
Physics Lab III
Seminar


Fourth Semester

Dissertation

Liquid Crystals: Physics and Display -- Applications

Classification of Liquid Crystals: Symmetry, Structure and classification of liquid Crystals, Polymorphism in thermotropics, Reentrant phenomena in liquid crystals. Blue phases Polymer liquid crystals, Distribution functions and order parameters, Macroscopic and microscopic order parameters. Measurement of order parameters, magnetic resonance, Electron spin resonance, Raman Scattering and X-ray diffraction.

Discotic Liquid Ctrystals: Symmetry and structure, Mean-field description of discotic liquid crystals, continuum description Lytropic liquid crystals and biological membrane.

Applications of liquid crystals: Seven segment and Alphanumeric displays, Twisted Nematic and super twisted nematic (TN & STN) display technology. Active matrix displays ( AMLCDS), other display phenomena, Opto-electronic phenomena in soft condense matter.

Theories of Liquid Crystalline Phase Transitions: Nature of Phase transitions and critical phenomena in liquid crystals, hard particle, Maier-Saupe and Van der Waals theories for nematic –isotropic and nematic-smectic. A transitions; Landau theory : Essential ingradients, aplication to nematic –isotropic, nematic-smectic A transitions and transitions involving smectic phases.

Continuum Theory: Curvature elasticity in nematic and smectic A phases, distortions due to magnetic and electric fields, Magnetic coherence length, Freedericksz transition, Field-induced cholesteric-nematic transition.

Dynamical Properties of Cholesterics: Optical properties of an ideal helix, Agents influencing the pitch, Liquid crystal displays

Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals: The properties of smectic C, Continuum description, Smectic C-smectic A transition, Applications, Physics of surface stabilized FLC display devices.