| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/S11008/01 |
| Title: |
An exploration of liquid crystals in single metallic slits for use with microwaves |
| Principal Investigator: |
Sambles, Professor JR |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Physics |
| Organisation: |
University of Exeter |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 April 2003 |
Ends: |
30 June 2006 |
Value (£): |
308,531
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
Materials Processing |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Microwaves play a very important role in our technological society, being used in the operation of a wide range of systems and devices from advanced communications through to domestic cookers. The selective control of microwave radiation wavelength, amplitude, polarisation or direction is therefore an area of much interest.Surface waves, a well known area of microwave technology, have been often used as in strip lines and many other applications. At higher frequencies particularly in the visible, these surface waves are classified as surface plasmons. The control of light using a combination of the excitation of surface plasmons with voltage controlled liquid crystals has been known for some time, however the idea of using voltage controlled liquid crystals to manipulate the surface response function in the microwave regime is a very recent innovation. There is a very good reason for this in that liquid crystals are only readily aligned in thin layers, less than perhaps 0.1 mm in thickness. Such dimensions would at first sight appear far too small to be useful for microwave applications. Our recent studies have conclusively shown this to be incorrect. We have demonstrated that, by use of suitable thin metal slits whicl support coupled surface modes at microwave frequencies, it is possible to utilise the dielectric anisotropy of liquid crystals to control the microwave transmission through such slits.The overall aims of the present project are: to extend this pioneering work by examining new materials; particularly with the view of finding low loss materials; to develop studies on single slits, using surface texturing to give strong coupling of microwaves into the slits; to explon much thinner gaps and to begin studies of non-linear effects with liquid crystals and microwaves.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.ex.ac.uk |