
8-6 Sensors and Sensor Technology
Note that an LC might not have all phases shown in Figure 8.7. A unit vector n⃗, the LC director axis,
re
presents
th
e
di
rection
of th
e
lo
ng
mo
lecular
ax
is
[1
9]
. In ne
matic
ph
ase,
LC mo
lecules
ha
ve
or
ienta-
tion
or
der
bu
t
do no
t
ha
ve
po
sitional
or
der
. As th
e
te
mperature
de
creases,
th
ey
te
nd
to ha
ve
po
sitional
or
ders
in ad
dition
to or
ientation
or
der
. e LC
s
th
at
ch
ange
th
eir
be
havior
du
e
to te
mperature
ch
ange
ar
e
ca
lled
th
ermotropic
. Ly
otropic
is an
other
ty
pe
of LC th
at
ha
s
mo
lecular
st
ructure
ch
anges
du
e
to th
e
co
ncentration
of th
e
so
lvent
. LC
s
ha
ve
ma
ny
ap
plications
in di
erent
e
lds
of sc
ience,
me
dicine,
in