Happy New Year 2022
The Matrix team is pleased to wish you a Happy New Year 2022! The laboratory’s greeting card is illustrated by a Fréedericksz transition in a biaxial smectic phase.
Liquid crystals: a playground for exploring physics
The teaching of experimental physics at the Master’s level has recently undergone a notable evolution thanks to the setting up of platforms equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, similar to that used …
A Fréedericksz-like transition in a biaxial smectic A phase
Liquid-crystal (LC) displays exploit a physical phenomenon called the Fréedericksz transition. This effect is only observed with “nematic” LCs which are fluids of rod-like molecules aligned in the same direction. …
Original structure and dynamics of water in a geo-inspired nanotube – SFN 2021 thesis prize
The study of ultra-confined fluids opens a very large field concerning nano-flows and it highlights the determining role of interfaces in new structures of liquids such as water. The development …
A new collective book on liquid crystals
The story of liquid crystals is that of transgression of frontiers and of breaking of common beliefs. Indeed, liquid crystals were discovered by a biochemist, Friedrich Reinitzer, who shared his …
Perfect assemblies of gold nanoparticles
Nanoparticles can assemble in periodic structures, like atoms, called supercrystals. There are many applications for these materials (from catalysis to detection) but they require regular assemblies with as few defects …
New artificial fibres made of inorganic nanotubes
Mankind’s relationship with fibres goes back thousands of years, but in the last century we have moved beyond natural plant and animal-based yarns (silk, wool) to develop stronger, more versatile …
An ocean of microplastics tracked at the nanoscale
What is the fate of polymer debris in the ocean? Aging of polyethylene packaging after prolonged marine exposure has been tracked at the nanoscale. A recent work demonstrates that the …
Formation of the “splay-bend” nematic by the action of an electric field
The most common technology used nowadays in displays and screens is based on the properties of « nematic » liquid crystals. The existence of two new types of nematic liquid crystals was …
Inorganic Nanotube Mesophases Enable Strong Self-Healing Fibers
Macroscopic assembly of nanomaterials in fibers can improve their mechanical characteristics and add new functions. One-dimensional nanomaterials are particularly suited to the uniaxial geometry of fibers. Researchers at Imperial College …