Sepideh Norouzi featured ILCS liquid crystal artist, July 2021

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Sepideh Norouzi is a Ph.D. student from the University of South Carolina. She is doing research under the supervision of Dr. Monirosadat (Sanaz) Sadati. Her research focuses on blue phase liquid crystal, and she used the combined geometrical confinement and polymerization to manipulate blue phase structure and stability range.

Email: snorouzi@email.sc.edu

Research Group Website: https://www.sadatilab.com
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This is a cross-polarized in reflection mode image of stabilized blue phase liquid crystal microdroplets. The blue phase liquid crystal microdroplets contain UV reactive premixture which is stabilized by photopolymerization. Blue phase liquid crystals are thermodynamically stable over narrow ranges of temperature (1-2 °C). After stabilization, however, they show the extended temperature range including the room temperature. Both BPI (green color) and BPII (blue color) phases are stabilized in microdroplets.
Jury comment: The picture is very beautiful and artistically well composed with structured coloured fields at moving “upwards” .