Liquid crystals are a highly ordered liquid material that has a unique molecular structure which causes them to behave like a solid crystal. When first discovered by H. Reinitzer in 1889, liquid crystals were considered little more than a scientific curiosity It was not until fairly recently that scientists discovered how these molecules change position when an electrical charge is applied, and it is this discovery that has paved the way for the widespread use of liquid crystals, particularly in electronic displays.

As the name implies, liquid crystals are materials in a liquid state. In large amounts they appear to be rather cloudy, like honey, but are clear and nearly transparent when in thin layers (as they are normally found). Like solid crystals, their molecules are long and sausage-shaped, and they are very well-ordered within the liquid. There are three types of liquid crystal. The most organized...