ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the behavior of freely suspended films of banana mesogens. The behavior of the c-director in an electric field provides a new way to gain insight into the polar properties of the banana mesophases and also into the dynamics of the director relaxation. The chapter discusses the structure formation at a liquid crystal (LC)/glass substrate. The research on LCs in restricted geometries extends to various types of confinement, such as planar films, cylindrical filaments, and spherical droplets. Additionally, the effects of the substrate structure, curvature, and topography recently became an active topic of the current research. LCs in confined geometries are also interesting from the technological point of view. They play an important role in emerging electro-optical and photonic technologies. Confinement of LCs not only enhances physical properties of LC devices but also opens new horizons for the development of novel multifunctional and photonic materials.
