Professor Nigel Mottram

Professor Nigel Mottram

Contact Details

Room No. LT1005 (L905)
Telephone +44 (0)141 548 3800
Fax +44 (0)141 548 3345
email nigel.mottram@strath.ac.uk

Research Interests

Positions available

Postgraduate studentship

Continuum theory of anisotropic fluids

(click title for more information).

Lectures on liquid crystal modelling.

Postgraduate supervision

I currently supervise five postgraduate students

The following postgraduate students have recently graduated

Biography

  • 1989-1992: BA in Mathematics at the University of Oxford (Keble College).
  • 1992-1996: PhD in the Department of Engineering Mathematics at the University of Bristol. Boundary effects in nematic liquid crystal cells, supervised by Prof. S. J. Hogan (external link)
  • 1995-1997: Post Doctoral Research Assistant in the Department of Engineering Mathematics at the University of Bristol. Working on nematic liquid crystal theory with Prof. Hogan.
  • 1997-1999: Post Doctoral Research Assistant in the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. Working on smectic liquid crystal theory with Dr S. J. Elston (external link).
  • 1999-2004: Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Strathclyde.
  • 2001-2006: EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow
  • 2004-2007: Reader in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Strathclyde.
  • 2007-present: Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Strathclyde.

Selected Publications

Asymptotic and numerical analysis of a simple model for blade coating
Quintans Carou J, Wilson SK, Mottram NJ and Duffy BR
J. Eng. Math., 2009, 63(2-4), 155-176.
A mathematical model for blade coating of a nematic liquid crystal
QuintansCarou J, Mottram NJ, Wilson SK and Duffy BR
University of Strathclyde Mathematics Research Report, 2007, #4
Multistable alignment states in nematic liquid crystal filled wells
Tsakonas C, Davidson AJ, Brown CV and Mottram NJ
Appl. Phys. Lett., 2007, 90, Art. No. 111913
Theoretical analysis of the magnetic Freedericksz transition in the presence of flexoelectricity and ionic contamination
Smith AAT, Brown CV and Mottram NJ
Phys. Rev. E, 2007, 75, Art. No. 041704
Flexoelectric instability and a spontaneous chiral-symmetry breaking in a nematic liquid crystal cell with asymmetric boundary conditions
Palto SP, Mottram NJ and Osipov MA
Phys. Rev. E, 2007, 75, Art. No. 61707
Uniqueness in the Freedericksz transition with weak anchoring
daCosta FP, Grinfeld M, Mottram NJ and Pinto JT
2007, #19
A mathematical study of a bistable nematic liquid crystal device
daCosta FP, Grinfeld M, Mottram NJ and Pinto JT
University of Strathclyde Mathematics Research Report, 2006, #9
Towards a Model of Atherosclerosis
McKay C, McKee S, Mottram N, Mulholland T, Wilson S, Kennedy S and Wadsworth R
University of Strathclyde Mathematics Research Report, 2005, #4
Introduction to Q-tensor theory
Mottram N and Newton C
University of Strathclyde Mathematics Research Report, 2004, #10
Flexoelectric enhancement above the Freedericksz transition
Brown CV and Mottram NJ
Phys Rev E, 2003, 68, 031702-1-031702-5.
Influence of flexoelectricity above the nematic Freedericksz transition
Brown CV and Mottram NJ
Phys. Rev. E, 2003, 68, Art no. 31702.
Flexoelectric switching in a bistable nematic device
Davidson AJ and Mottram NJ
Phys Rev E, 2002, 65(5), art. no. 051710 Part 1.
Defect-induced melting in nematic liquid crystals
Mottram NJ and Sluckin TJ
Liq. Cryst., 2000, 27, 1301-1304.
Biaxial ordering at the chevron interface in smectic liquid crystals
Mottram NJ, Islam NU and Elston SJ
Phys. Rev. E, 1999, 60, 613-619.
Theoretical model of the transition between C1 and C2 chevron structures in smectic liquid crystals
Diaz A, Mottram NJ and McKay G
Eur. Phys. J. E, 2005, 18, 231-237.
Pulsed addressing of a dual-frequency nematic liquid crystal
Mottram NJ and Brown CV
Phys. Rev. E, 2006, 74, Art no. 31703.

Vacancies & Studentships

Domain growth in liquid crystals

Reference No.: JAM/NJM1

Supervisors:

Date Advertised: 6th February 2007

Please contact Dr John Mackenzie for further information.

Liquid crystal displays play an increasingly important role in today's world.

There is now a need for power efficient, high-definition small screens for hand-held devices such as mobile phones, personal organisers and internet access units and for large screen, space saving computer VDUs and televisions.

The main issues of importance to LCD manufacturers are, the ability to produce high speed switching to allow video images to be displayed, increased optical performance i.e better contrast and viewing angle, and power consumption, to extend the life-time of batteries in portable devices.

With this in mind, research is being undertaken in the Maths Department to understand fast switching processes and how defects affect switching.

One problem is that switching often occurs by domain growth and no one knows why the domains are "boat-shaped", how we can affect the shape of the domains, what governs the speed of growth of the domains and how zig-zag defects affect domain growth.

This project aims to model this system as a set of differential equations in order to answer these questions. The theory of liquid crystals that has been developed in the Maths Department will be used as well as state-of-the-art numerical techniques developed by the Numerical Analysis group.

This work involves numerically solving nonlinear ordinary and partial differential equations governing the fluid flow, molecular orientation together with Maxwell's equations governing the electric field throughout the LCD and the behaviour of light through the display.

This PhD project will provide a postgraduate student with extensive training in model building, problem solving, fluid dynamics and a number of numerical techniques.