ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the basic principles of liquid crystal (LC) materials and optoelectronic devices. A variety of different liquid crystal molecular arrangements will result in a large range of liquid crystal phases. The basic differences of liquid crystal phases are explained and the anisotropy of the physical properties is described. The usability of liquid crystals for electro-optic devices are described, together with the working principles of typical devices based on liquid crystals. Key device parameters and performance characteristics are described.
