Electro-mechanical effects in liquid crystals

Abstract

Linear and quadratic electromechanical effects of liquid crystals are reviewed. Among the linear effects the piezoelectric and flexoelectric effects and their analogues in low molecular weight fluid, nematic, smectic and columnar liquid crystals, in polymeric and elastomer liquid crystals, are discussed and compared with the piezoelectricity of conventional solid piezoelectrics. As the most important quadratic electromechanical effect, an overview is given of the electrostriction effects in fluid, polymeric and rubber-like liquid-crystalline systems. These topics are rarely discussed in the liquid crystal literature, although they are becoming increasingly important for future energy conversion and micro-energy-generating devices.

Keywords:

• electromechanical effects
• liquid crystals
• piezoelectricity
• flexoelectricity

Notes

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