Date

1-2010

Degree Name

BS in Physics

Department

Physics Department

Advisor(s)

Karl Saunders

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the light properties of a chiral liquid crystal or a crystal for which the director angle relative to some fixed axis changes as a function of the crystal depth. Sometimes a dopant can introduce a chirality or "twist" in a nematic liquid crystal. For such cases of non-linear depth dependence (where chirality is determined by a diffusion equation) we may use this research to work backwards from a crystal's light properties to intensity and duration of dopant exposure.