nestekiteinä

Nestekiteinä is a Finnish term that translates to "liquid crystals" in English. Liquid crystals are a state of matter that exhibits properties between those of a conventional liquid and a solid crystal. They possess fluidity like a liquid, meaning their molecules can move past one another, but they also exhibit orientational order, similar to solids, where their molecules tend to align in specific directions.

The unique properties of liquid crystals arise from the elongated or disk-like shape of their constituent molecules. These molecules, while mobile, are not arranged in a completely random fashion as in typical liquids. Instead, they maintain a degree of alignment, leading to anisotropic optical and electrical properties. This means that the way light or an electric field interacts with the liquid crystal depends on the direction of observation or the applied field.

There are several types of liquid crystalline phases, each characterized by a different degree of molecular order. Nematic phases have molecules aligned in a common direction but without positional order. Smectic phases exhibit both orientational order and some degree of positional order in layers. Cholesteric phases, often formed by chiral molecules, create a helical structure.

The most well-known application of liquid crystals is in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), commonly found in televisions, computer monitors, and smartphones. By applying an electric field, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules can be controlled, which in turn affects how light passes through them. This allows for the creation of images by selectively blocking or transmitting light.