Abstract: Methods for treating aligning substrates produces uniform alignment of liquid crystals in at least two modes. The method is based on the treatment of liquid crystal aligning substrates with a collimated or partially collimated plasma beam. In one embodiment, the method comprises a step of bombarding an aligning substrate with at least one plasma beam from a plasma beam source at a designated incident angle to align the atomic/molecular structure or the surface profile of the aligning substrate in at least one aligned direction.

Abstract: The present system and methods allow for low level detection of as little as single pathogen particles, such as viral or bacterial particles, during the early stage of infection. An optical trapping system, such as laser tweezers, are used to trap a substrate to which an analyte has been bound to detect and record the thermal motion of an antibody-antigen interaction that may occur between an anti-viral antibody-coated microsphere and a viral particle for example. The system may be equipped with a detection system such as a position sensitive photodetector (PSD) to record the thermal motion of a trapped microsphere and particle at a certain frequency. The thermal motion data may be Fourier transformed into a power spectrum, which may be transformed into an output value using a Lorentzian equation. The power spectrum of the trapped microsphere may be recorded before and after binding of the pathogenic particle to determine the presence thereof.

Abstract: A new way of generating electrical power by changing the dielectric properties of liquid crystals by mechanical means is described. Such a method and device take advantage of the nature of the liquid crystal as the dielectric material in a capacitor. A broad range of materials, including various liquid crystalline materials, as well as additional mechanisms (flexoelectric polarization) to fully exploit the potential of this mechanism may be realized. Applications of this technology may be useful in wearable personal electric generators as well as in noise damping materials/devices, which not only absorb and dissipate sound, but use it to generate electric power.

Abstract: A porous carbon composition comprises carbon particles having substantially uniform mesopores, wherein the mesopores have a diameter greater than 5 nanometers. A carbon composition may also comprise carbon particles having a predetermined surface configuration, wherein the surface configuration inversely corresponds to the configuration of at least a portion of an imprinting material. A method of synthesizing mesoporous carbon particles comprises the steps of providing particles of at least one carbon precursor, mixing the particles of at least one carbon precursor with a medium containing an imprinting material to form pretreated solid carbon precursor particles, heating the pretreated solid carbon precursor particles to a temperature at least as high as 20° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides liquid crystal devices comprised of a composite of an internal polymer network localized on the substrate surfaces and short-pitch dual-frequency switchable cholesteric liquid crystal that operate in two different modes including in-plane switching (amplitude modulation) and out-of-plane switching (phase modulation). The invention further provides a method of making a liquid crystal device demonstrating uniform lying helical axis where the device comprises a composite of an internal spatially ordered polymer network localized by in-situ photo-polymerization at the surface of the substrate. The invention can be used for flat panel displays, as well as spatial light modulators for applications such as optical waveguides, optical beam scanners, computer-generated holograms, and adaptive optics.

Abstract: An electro-optical device including a biaxial liquid crystal having a primary and secondary director is provided. A change in orientation of at least one of the directors due to an applied electric field produces a change in the optical state of the device. Response times are increased dramatically over uniaxial nematic based liquid crystal devices, offering improved performance and efficiency.

Abstract: A new light modulating material using interconnected unidirectionally oriented microdomains of a liquid crystal, dispersed in a stressed polymer structure, is provided. The light modulating material is prepared by dissolving the liquid crystal in an uncured monomer and then curing the monomer so that the polymer forms a well-developed interpenetrating structure of polymer chains or sheets that is uniformly dispersed through the film. When the film is subjected to stress deformation the liquid crystal undergoes a change in its unidirectional orientation. The concentration of the polymer is high enough to hold the shear stress, but is as low as possible to provide the highest switch of the phase retardation when an electric field is applied. The new materials are optically transparent and provide phase modulation of the incident light opposed to the low driving voltage, linear electro-optical response, and absence of hysteresis.

Abstract: In a preparation method, a chiral or cholesteric liquid crystal, a photoreactive monomer, and a photoinitiator are disposed in a liquid crystal cell. A principal surface of the liquid crystal cell is illuminated with ultraviolet light selected to have a non-uniform ultraviolet light intensity profile in the liquid crystal cell. The illuminating cooperates with the photoinitiator to polymerize at least a portion of the photoreactive monomer near the principal surface to generate a polymer network having a density corresponding to the non-uniform ultraviolet light intensity profile. The polymer network biases the liquid crystal toward a selected helical alignment direction. In some embodiments, the illuminating includes illuminating with first and second ultraviolet light intensity profiles to produce surface and volume polymer network components.

Abstract: Methods for treating aligning substrates produces uniform alignment of liquid crystals in at least two modes. The method is based on the treatment of liquid crystal aligning substrates with a collimated or partially collimated plasma beam. In one embodiment, the method comprises a step of bombarding an aligning substrate with at least one plasma beam from a plasma beam source at a designated incident angle to align the atomic/molecular structure or the surface profile of the aligning substrate in at least one aligned direction.

Abstract: An optical measurement system for obtaining information such as the absorption coefficient of a light-absorbing liquid, or a surface profile of an object immersed in a light-absorbing liquid having a known absorption coefficient. The system includes a light source that transmits light through the liquid, a detector that records an image of the light transmitted through the sample and a processor or other means adapted to analyze the intensity distribution found on the image to generate information about the sample.

Abstract: A method for fast switching a dual frequency (FIG. 3) liquid crystal cell is disclosed. The liquid crystal cell has opposed substrates (12) with a dual frequency liquid crystal material (18) disposed therebetween. Each substrate has an electrode that is connected to a power supply (20) that is able to apply different voltage magnitudes at different frequencies. And each substrate (12) has an alignment layer that imparts a high pretilt angle to the liquid crystal material, wherein no application of voltage results in the material exhibiting an initial state. A transition driving pulse (104) of a first magnitude is applied to the material at a first frequency to accelerate a transition into a first state from the initial state. A holding pulse (102) of a second magnitude is applied to the material at the first frequency to maintain the first state, wherein the second magnitude is less than the first magnitude.

Abstract: A functional cassette for the detection of ligands comprises a first inner housing, a second middle housing and a third outer housing and each housing is at least partially rotatable relative to an adjoining housing. The first inner housing contains a central well adapted for receiving a sample, and the central well is in selectable fluid communication with at least one mixing chambers. The mixing chambers contain a reagent for forming a complex with a ligand. The first inner housing additionally comprises at least one compartments for the storage of a liquid crystalline material, and the compartments are in selectable fluid communication with at least one mixing chambers. The third outer housing comprises at least one detection chambers for observing the light transmission properties of a liquid crystal material and the detection chambers are in selectable fluid communication with the mixing.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device comprises a first and second cell wall structure; at least one liquid crystal material disposed within a space between the first and second cell wall structures; and polymer micro-structures, wherein the micro-structures are formed by polymerizing a prepolymer, and wherein said micro-structures have a shape and spatial location determined by said liquid crystal material. Permanent polymer micro-structures are formed from a liquid crystal with a non-uniform spatially modulated director field. The polymer structures have the shape and spatial location dictated by the non-uniform director field of the liquid crystal. The micro-structures are a backbone that restores the liquid crystal director field that existed during the polymerization process even when other factors, such as electric field, temperature, or surface anchoring, do not favor this restoration.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device comprises of a pair of opposed substrates defining a cell gap. Each substrate has an electrode disposed on a surface facing the other substrate. A plurality of spacers are randomly disposed in the cell gap and extend from one substrate to the other substrate, wherein a polymerization enhancing or initiating compound is not disposed on the surface of the spacers. Polymer columns are randomly disposed between the opposed substrates, extending from one substrate to the other, at least a portion of which are disposed around and immobilize the spacers in the cell gap. A liquid crystal material is disposed in the cell gap. A method for making a liquid crystal device is also provided. The internal columnar structures provide stability against mechanical pressure enabling the fabrication of durable, flexible LC display devices using plastic substrates for applications in portable and handheld devices.

Abstract: A stand-alone platform and a method for the multi-dimensional rendering, display, manipulation, and analysis of full high resolution volumetric data sets. The systems and methods provide the ability to volumetrically render images with extremely high resolution in applications such as medical imaging procedures, digital microscopy such as in use of a confocal microscope, and other areas where extremely large data sets are produced from the imaging process. Certain embodiments of the system and methods produce left and right eye images of the rendered data, for viewing in parallax via a synchronized headset, and the ability to manipulate the data and display of image data easily and in real time.

Abstract: A method for producing a diffraction grating is provided. First, a mixture including nematic liquid crystal, dopant, and polymerizable precursor is introduced between two electrically conductive substrates having alignment layers for inducing orientation of the liquid crystal director. A potential difference is applied across the liquid crystal to cause a spontaneous self-assembly of the liquid crystal into an array of convective rolls. Thereafter, the roll structure is stabilized by the creation of a polymeric network through polymerization and/or cross-linking of the polymerizable precursor. The convective roll structure serves as a template for the formation of the polymeric network.

Abstract: An aligned film comprises a dried mixture of a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal material and a dopant selected from the group consisting of dyes having a molecular weight within one order of magnitude of the liquid crystal material and block co-polymers. An example of an aligned film may be transparent to visible light but not transparent to polarized light in the ultraviolet and/or infra-red portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. A method of making an aligned lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal-based film comprises providing a mixture of a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal material and a dopant in a solvent for the liquid crystal material, applying the mixture to a substrate, and removing the solvent to produce an aligned lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal-based film.

Abstract: Novel discotic liquid crystalline porphyrins and discotic liquid crystalline metal complexes, methods for their preparation, and device fabrication are disclosed. Materials with partially perfluorinated alkyl group in the peripheral chains show a strong tendency towards the formation of homeotropic alignment. These compounds are capable of being used as high-efficiency photovoltaic materials, organic semiconducting materials, and organic light emitting materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides a full color liquid crystal display of passive matrix design that includes a polarizer, an analyzer having a transmission axis, and at least one light generation stage positioned between the polarizer and analyzer for transmitting light of a desired wavelength to the analyzer. This light generation stage includes a first retarder stack that rotates desired wavelengths of light to a particular polarization state, a second retarder stack inverted and rotated by 90 degrees with respect to said first retarder stack, and a passive matrix addressed optical element positioned between the first and second retarder stacks. The retardation and orientation of each of the first retarder stack, second retarder stack, and passive matrix addressed optical element are optimized so as to provide a color generation stage that places desired wavelengths of light substantially along the transmission axis of the analyzer.

Abstract: A photodisplay device in which an optically addressed image can be viewed indefinitely, erased and readdressed with a new image is disclosed. Optically responsive reversible photochiral materials are incorporated into a bistable cholesteric liquid crystal in an electrooptic display cell. A high resolution image exposed on the cell is fixed by a low voltage pulse to unpatterned electrodes and can be, at a later time, erased with a high voltage pulse.