February 2021

Maurice Kleman

I am sorry to pass on the sad news that Maurice Kleman passed away on the 29th of January 2021. He was a renowned expert in the experimental and theoretical study of defects, particularly also in relation to liquid crystals. Many of our members will be familiar with his classic book "Points, lines and walls: in liquid crystals, magnetic systems and various ordered media". A more detailed obituary will appear in Liquid Crystals Today in due time.

Ingo Dierking

18th International Conference on Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal - Polarity and Chirality in Soft Matter

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Is it our great pleasure to invite you all to participate and submit your contributions to the 18th International Conference on Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals – Polarity and Chirality in Soft Matter, which will be held from 6th to 10th of September 2021 in Ljubljana (Slovenia).

We are looking forward to welcoming you in Ljubljana. The conference will take place regardless of the Covid-19 pandemic situation: preferably in person, alternatively with streaming option for those who will not be able to travel, or, in the unfortunate case that the pandemic will not allow us to meet in person, the conference will be held fully online.

Main topics of the FLC2021 include: Synthesis and design of polar and chiral liquid crystals, Structures of polar and chiral mesophases, Polar nematic liquid crystals, Simulation, modelling and theory, Physical properties of polar and chiral liquid crystals, Ferroelectric and ferromagnetic soft matter, Colloidal polar systems, Twist-bend phases, Liquid crystals and biology as well as Applications of polar and chiral liquid crystals.

List of confirmed speakers: http://flc2021.ijs.si/prog.html

You are invited to submit the abstracts via our online submission form found at the conference webpage:

Abstract submission is now open: http://flc2021.ijs.si/abss.html


With this mail you can also find attached the Second Circular. We would be grateful if you would print it out and post the attached flyer to help publicise the conference.

With best regards,

Alenka Mertelj

Conference Chair on behalf of the Organising Committee.