Noel A. Clark

Dr. Clark's group has its own homepage.

Research in Professor Clark's group is directed toward understanding and using the properties of condensed phases, ranging from experiments on the fundamental physics of phase transitions, such as melting, to the development of liquid crystal electro-optic light valves. The primary experimental tools are laser light scattering, electrooptics, video microscopy and high resolution synchrotron X-ray scattering. Much of the research is on the physics of liquid crystals, phases of matter having structure intermediate to that of liquids and solids, and on the physics of colloids, suspensions of one material in another that exhibit order on large length scales. These materials have become important testing grounds for modern theories of phase transitions, which is the principal focus of research. The group recently made a fundamental discovery about the nature of the melting transition, showing it to be a condensation of "broken bonds."

Applied research is in the area of liquid crystal electro-optics. Professor Clark's group has pioneered a major new liquid crystal electro-optic technology, employing ferroelectric liquid crystals to make high-speed bistable light valves. These devices, which can be configured into linear and matrix arrays, are of particular use in optical computing and are one of the principal technologies to be developed in the Center for Optoelectronic Computing Systems at the University of Colorado.

Recently the group has begun a new project on fabrication of structures on a nanometer length scale. This work, which grew out of their research on biomembrane liquid crystals, is directed toward using two-dimensional protein crystals as fabrication masks and templates.
 

Selected Publications
 

• "A CHIRAL FERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL CONGLOMERATE COMPOSED OF RACEMIC MOLECULES," D.M. Walba, E. Körblova, R.F. Shao, J.E. Maclennan, D.R. Link, M.A. Glaser, and N.A. Clark, Science 288, 2181-2184 (2000).
• "ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY OF FREELY SUSPENDED LIQUID CRYSTAL FILMS TRANSFERRED TO OCTADECYL TRIETHOXY SILANE SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYERS, " B.W. Lee, D.R. Link, N.A. Clark, Liquid Crystals 27, 501-507 (2000).
• "PHOTO-INDUCED NANOPHASE SEGREGATION IN A SMECTIC LIQUID CRYSTAL," Y. Lansac, M.A. Glaser, N.A. Clark , and O. Lavrentovich, Nature 398, 54-57 (1999).
• "SPONTANEOUS FORMATION OF MACROSCOPIC CHIRAL DOMAINS IN A FLUID SMECTIC PHASE OF ACHIRAL MOLECULES," D.R. Link, G. Natale, R.F. Shao, J.E. Maclennan, N.A. Clark, E. Körblova, and D.M. Walba, Science 278, 1924-27 (1997).

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