Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Liquid crystal elastomers are an entirely new physical system with unique properties occupying a transitional zone between liquids and solids. This book is the foundation treatise in this emerging field of combined chemistry, physics, mathematics and engineering. It reviews experimental techniques and results and describes theoretical ideas, illustrating them by solved examples and nearly 200 figures. In addition, the book reviews the foundations of the field: the physics of liquid crystals, polymer physics and foundations of elasticity, thus making a useful and concise reference source.