Handbook of Liquid Crystals—Volume II

This expert and self-contained authored handbook provides comprehensive coverage of liquid crystals from the fundamental materials science, physics, and modeling through cutting-edge applications. Written by an author with over 40 years of active experience in this growing field, it offers an unprecedented self-contained treatment of this key research area. Liquid Crystals are a state of matter sharing properties that are usually associated with both solids and liquids. Their study belongs to wider field of soft condensed matter physics, an area growing in importance because of the new physics being discovered and the possibilities of various technological applications being developed. Liquid crystals continue to have a revolutionary technological impact and consistently pose new challenges of basic understanding. While the experimental side of liquid crystal research is very well developed, theoretical understanding has lagged, and this volume fills a gap in the published literature in terms of rigorous treatment of mathematical and computer modeling approaches. Volume II of this handbook deals with advanced aspects of liquid crystals and their applications, covering computer simulations of phase transitions in liquid crystals, liquid crystals of biomolecules, and defect textures in liquid crystals. Overall, this handbook serves as the ultimate scholarly guide for researchers, scientists, and engineers seeking to unlock the full potential of liquid crystals. It offers a comprehensive understanding of these materials and their diverse applications, empowering readers to navigate the complex intricacies of liquid crystal science and technology.