Recent research from scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, has revealed a new phenomenon: nonlinear disclination states. These states occur when a liquid crystal is forced to curve in three dimensions, creating a lattice-like structure. This structure can be used to create an array of optical effects, such as birefringence (the splitting of light into two beams), circular polarization (when the light waves are all aligned in the same direction), and chirality (when the handedness of the light waves is the same). By manipulating these nonlinear disclination states, scientists can create a variety of interesting optical effects.

Read Full Article Here

source: Phys.org