Project Title: Unravelling the Mysteries of Nematic Solution Landscapes
Project supervisor: Professor Apala Majumdar
Project Description: Nematic liquid crystals are perhaps one of the most classical and widely-used examples of soft matter, materials that combine directionality with fluidity and have special material directions, referred to as "nematic directors". Consequently, nematics have a direction-dependent response to external light, temperature, mechanical stress, electric fields etc., resulting in directional physical, optical and mechanical properties. In fact, nematics are the working material of choice for the multibillion-dollar liquid crystal display industry. Contemporary research in nematics has shifted from conventional displays to altogether new areas such as sensors, actuators, photonics and generally information-rich technologies. Scientifically, these advanced applications require a well-defined framework connecting fundamental physics to programmable materials science in fields such as biologyand nanoscience and finally to commercial applications. Mathematics is the
crucial link between physics and applications, which has been underexploited to date.
In this project, we will study two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) nematic systems in terms of their complex solution landscapes, an umbrella term used to describe the plethora of admissible NLC configurations in different settings. We will model the experimentally observable nematic configurations, how to switch between different configurations, and crucially how to use geometrical properties to control and steer processes of importance. We will work with experimentalists to use the theory for the design and optimisation of 2D and 3D nematic systems and test their potential for different applications. This is an exciting project at the interface of mathematical modelling, analysis, and scientific computation in a broad interdisciplinary setting.
Qualification Details: A bachelor’s degree (upper second-class honours or higher) in Mathematics. Applicants should have some experience with partial differential equations, advanced calculus, mechanics and ideally some knowledge of basic coding in any programming language e.g. MATLAB.
Studentship details: This 42-month studentship is funded by a Leverhulme Research Project grant awarded to Professor Apala Majumdar. There are two project partners: Dr Canevari (Verona), and an experimentalist, Professor Lagerwall (Luxembourg), and the project includes scientific collaborations with researchers at the University of Oxford and Peking University.
The student will join the Majumdar research group. This group has one postdoctoral researcher (Dr Han, Newton Fellow), who will be involved with the project, and three graduate students. More details about the Majumdar research group can be found here and here.
More generally, the student will also be part of the Continuum Mechanics and Industrial Mathematics Research Group at the University of Strathclyde.This is a vibrant research group with several faculty members working on liquid crystals, continuum mechanics and fluid mechanics.
The studentship covers home fees and stipend. All candidates are eligible, but international candidates would need to pay the fees difference between Home and Overseas rates; this needs to be discussed further with the Apala Majumdar. There are also funds to visit the project partners, Dr Canevari (Verona) and Professor Lagerwall (Luxembourg).
Application: Please contact Apala Majumdar at @email and send your CV with a brief