Liquid crystals

• History of liquid crystals
• Frank elastic constants
• Odd-even effect
• Onsager theory
• Order parameters
• Ionic liquid crystals
• Side-chain liquid crystals
• Simulations of real liquid crystal systems

Models

• Maier-Saupe mean field model
• Humphries, James and Luckhurst mean field model
• Lebwohl-Lasher model

Phases

• Nematic phase
• Smectic phases
• Columnar phase
• Discotic phase
• Blue phase
• Chiral phases
• Micells
• Twisted grain-boundary phase