Liquid Crystals: Alignment and Phases

This lecture covers the alignment of liquid crystals without using an external field, the tuning of molecule alignment through various methods, the impact of viscosity on liquid crystals behavior, and the elastic constants affecting their orientation. It also delves into the classification of liquid crystal phases, the chiral nature of liquid crystals, and the unique properties of chiral nematic and smectic phases. The lecture further explores the ferroelectric and ferrielectric properties of liquid crystals, the reflection of light in chiral nematic phases, and the visualization techniques used in microscopy to study liquid crystals.