This new edition covers the main properties of nematics, cholesterics, and smectics and columnar phases, particularly the symmetry and the mechanical and optical characteristics of each phase. The latter includes some applications to display systems. The emphasis on order-of-magnitude considerations should make it useful to researchers.
The original edition was immediately recognized as a classic of condensed matter physics. This new edition covers the main properties of nematics, cholesterics, and smectics and columnar phases, particularly the symmetry and the mechanical and optical characteristics of each phase. The latter includes some applications to display systems. The emphasis on order-of-magnitude considerations should make it accessible to researchers and graduate students alike.
