Liquid crystals: visualization applications

With industrial production booming, liquid crystal displays have invaded our daily lives. They have replaced CRTs faster than anyone could have imagined. We are currently witnessing genuine competition between the various liquid crystal display techniques (TN, VA or IPS), and each technique requires dedicated materials with specific properties.

This article looks at liquid crystal displays from a materials perspective. The first part presents the basic vocabulary of the field, the physical properties of liquid crystals and the physical phenomena exploited in displays. The article is a continuation of Philippe Barois' [A 1 325] , covering the various liquid crystal technologies that have become established in the display industry, and the specific properties of the liquid crystals used. The second part describes the strategies employed in the design and manufacture of liquid crystals, and the economic and environmental challenges facing the liquid crystal industry.