Jianghao Xiong - Applications
For his outstanding research on newly emerging liquid crystal polarization holograms. His contributions include the discovery of tilted helical structure in reflective polarization hologram, advancements of fabrication techniques with high degree-of-freedom and scalability, and inventions of versatile adaptive optical systems for high-performance near-eye displays.

Xi Chen - Physics

Clarissa Dietrich - Chemistry/Experimental
For her deep understanding of the interplay between chirality and elasticity in both lyotropic and thermotropic liquid crystals. It concerns the development of chiral structures in liquid crystals and the effects of the confinement by interfaces, magnetic field, elasticity, and chirality.

Devesh Mistry - Materials/Experimental
For his outstanding work on designing and synthesizing new acrylate liquid crystal elastomers and the development of mechanically switchable lenses for vision correction. His work is important not just in the context of liquid crystals, polymers and soft matter, but more broadly in auxetic materials and biomaterials.

Dae-Yoon Kim - Chemistry/Materials (Experiment)

For his outstanding work on the design and synthesis of light-responsive molecules and remote-controllable smart materials. The synthesized photo-responsive materials and the observed structural relationship will have a significant impact on novel photonic devices with a wide range of future applications.

Haiwei Chen - Applications

For his development of the advanced technology for liquid crystal displays with high image quality. Also established was a solid theoretical foundation to perform further analysis of liquid crystal displays in terms of three key display metrics of response time, color gamut, and contrast ratio.

Shuang Zhou - Biology (Experiment)

For his outstanding research on the viscoelastic properties of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals showing many interesting features of a new class of active matters. His most important accomplishment was the discovery of a remarkable biomechanical material composed of swimming bacteria suspended in a water-soluble non-toxic liquid crystal, termed as a living liquid crystal.

Daniel A. Beller
Controlling defects in nematic and smectic liquid crystals through boundary geometry

For his outstanding theoretical work to identify the rich possibilities and outcomes of controlling defects in nematic and smectic liquid crystals under a variety of boundary conditions. The demonstration of the well controlled disclinations and focal conics is expected to open up a novel route for self-assembly in soft-ordered materials.

Johanna R. Bruckner
A first example of a lyotropic smectic C* analog phase: design, properties and chirality effects

For her discovery and detailed characterization of lyotropic smectic C* phases that shed refreshing light on the fundamental question in tilted smectic liquid crystals about the origin of interlayer chiral correlation. The hypothesis of particular ordered structures of achiral solvents being the origin of the interlayer correlation has been well substantiated by experimental evidence.

Angel Martinez
Optical Shaping of Structural Self-Oraganization and Topology in Soft Matter

For his outstanding research contribution to enriching the toolbox for structural manipulation of soft matter based on the optical effect and its application to liquid crystal colloids and polymeric systems. His research pioneered a new trend in the artificial control of microscopic topological structures in liquid crystals that opens a novel avenue for self-assembly in soft matter with a wide range of future applications.