2nd Semester (October) (2-0-0)
Prof. Hideo TAKEZOE, Assoc. Prof. Martin VACHA
Organic materials consist of molecules with rather weak interactions. Hence, interesting physical phenomena and novel functions arise in soft matter. In this lecture, physics of soft materials will be presented in English, particularly from the viewpoints optics and optical properties. Takezoe will talk about “Physics of Liquid Crystals” (odd year) and “Organic Nonlinear Optics” (even year) and Vacha will talk about “Photophysics and Spectroscopy of Organic Molecules”.
Organic materials generally consist of molecules with rather weak interactions. Hence, interesting
physical phenomena and novel functions arise in soft matter. In this lecture, physics of soft materials will
be presented in English, particularly from the viewpoints optics and optical properties. Takezoe will talk
about “Physics of Liquid Crystals” (odd year) and “Organic Nonlinear Optics” (even year) and Vacha will
talk about “Photophysics and Spectroscopy of Organic Molecules”
I. Liquid Crystals
1. Liquid crystals; kinds and structures
2. Orientational order
3. Anisotropy and optics
4. Continuum theory
5. Mean field theory and phenomenological theory of phase transitions
6. Ferroelectric and Antiferroelectric liquid crystals
7. Recent topics in liquid crystals
II. Photophysics and spectroscopy of organic molecules
1. Excited states of organic molecules and excited state relaxations
2. Molecular complexes
3. Photophysical processes
4. External field effects
5. Advanced spectroscopic methods
Reading material will be announced at the beginning of the course