PARTICLE TRANSPORT AND CHARACTERISATION

摘要

A liquid crystal device is disclosed with a layer of liquid crystal, at least one non-liquid-crystal particle (e.g. nano scale) held in the liquid crystal and a substrate on which an array of electrodes is formed. The device is operable to apply a desired potential to each electrode. The potential applied to each electrode is controllable to affect the director of at least a region of the liquid crystal layer local to each said electrode and thereby to form at least one disclination in the liquid crystal layer. The device is also adapted to controllably move the particle due to an interaction between the particle and the disclination and by control of the potential applied to said electrodes to control the disclination.