Robert B. Meyer
Professor of Physics and Volen National Center for Complex Systems
Ph.D., Harvard University, 1970
Robert Meyer studies many different aspects of liquid crystals. Currently, he is interested in patterns formed in two-dimensional systems, and in the unique properties of liquid crystal gels, which combine coupling between the elasticity of the gel and the molecular orientation in the liquid crystal. He is interested in the basic science of these systems and in possible practical applications. Professor Meyer is a member of the Brandeis Complex Fluids group.
Recent Ph.D. Students
Guangnan Meng (2004) "Elasticity of Thin Layers of Nematic Liquid Crystalline Gels: Electro-Optics and Thermo-Mechanics" Present Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physics and HSEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Jong-Bong Lee (2004) "Textures and Free Energy in Free Standing Thin Film of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals" Present Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, POSTECH, Pohang, South Korea.
Sample of Recent Publications
Edward Barry, Zvonimir Dogic, Robert B Meyer, Robert A Pelcovits, and Rudolf Oldenbourg. "Direct Measurement of the Twist Penetration Length in a Single Smectic A Layer of Colloidal Virus Particles." J. Phys. Chem B 113. 12 (2009): 3910-3913.
A. C. Callan-Jones, R. A. Pelcovits, R. B. Meyer, and A. F. Bower. "Unwinding of a strained cholesteric elastomer by disclination loop nucleation." Physical Review E 75. 1 (2007): 011701-011709.
Jong-Bong Lee, Robert A. Pelcovits, and Robert B. Meyer, ed. Role of electrostatics in the texture of islands in free-standing ferroelectric liquid crystal films. Physical Review E, 75: 051701-1 to -5 2007.
Robert A. Pelcovits, Robert B. Meyer, and Jong-Bong Lee, ed. Dynamics of the molecular orientation field coupled to ions in two-dimensional ferroelectric liquid crystals. Physical Review E, 76: 021704-1 to -6 2007.
J.-B. Lee, D. Konovalov, and R. B. Meyer. "Textural transformations in islands on free standing smectic-C* liquid crystal films." Physical Review E 73. 5 (2006): 051705-051712.
Rafael Verduzco, Guangnan Meng, Julia A. Kornfield, and Robert B. Meyer. "Buckling instability in liquid crystalline physical gels." Physical Review Letters 96. 14 (2006): 146802-146805.