What is the Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State University?

• The nation's leader in liquid crystal technology creation and education.
• The most comprehensive liquid crystal basic research program.
• The principal university partner in America's LCD industry.
• The lead institution in ALCOM, the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Research Center for Advanced Liquid Crystalline Optical Materials, a consortium of Kent, Case Western Reserve, and Akron universities.

What roles do scientists at the Liquid Crystal Institute perform?

• Direct research on liquid crystals and develop flat-panel display technologies
• Work with industry to create new products.
• Implement ALCOM research, which involves 180 primary investigators, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and support staff from universities in Northeast Ohio.
• Create new products for manufacturing and spin-off new companies.
• Educate scientists and train technicians in liquid crystal specialties.

Why are liquid crystals important?

• Liquid crystal flat-panel displays make the nation's information highway portable.
• They are the only materials at present that can be used for low-power, paper-like, portable displays.
• They are used in creating new products, such as switchable windows.
• They possess unique optical properties, useful in the opto-electronic industry.
• Liquid crystals are an important component of living systems.
• They are found in everyday household items, such as soaps and lubricants.

What do liquid crystals look like?

Click here to see liquid crystal images.

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