Quantum dot dispersion and assembly in liquid crystal media

Dr.Linda Hirst

University of California, Merced
School of Natural Sciences

Wednesday, 7th April 2010
3:00PM Samsung Auditorium

In this talk I will present some new results from my lab at UC Merced. We have been investigating the potential ordering and coupling of quantum dots in liquid crystal media using microscopy and photo luminescence measurements. We observe varying results in controlling the dispersion of the quantum dots in liquid crystal and I hope to discuss potential problems and strategies for dispersion. Interestingly in the cholesteric phase a novel pattern formation of dispersed quantum dots is observed resulting from the growth of the cholesteric texture from the isotropic phase. As a special bonus topic I will also briefly discuss a completely different project on a tilt induced crumpling transition in spherical lipid vesicles.