Biological & Soft Matter Seminar: Smectics!

Abstract:

Usually, crystals have three-dimensional periodicity. Smectic liquid crystals, however, have one-dimensional order, even in three-dimensional samples. These systems, as simple as they might seem, connect the physics of biomembranes, superconductivity, and even special relativity.  I will provide an introduction for non-specialists and show how this diverse set of ideas come together in these very, very soft systems.