Liquid crystals are complex materials that share properties of both solids and liquids. This is a consequence of complex anisotropic molecules that permit establishing phases with orientational and positional orders. Thus, a large variety of phases and phase transitions can occur in these systems. After a detailed description of general features of these materials, the tensorial nature of the orientational order parameter is discussed. Then, the Landau–de Gennes theory is developed for the isotropic–nematic transition. Later, positional degrees of freedom are included to account for the nematic–smectic transition. Next, the theory is generalized to include fluctuations, distortions and the effect of an external field. In the last part, topological defects are discussed with a particular emphasis on defects such as skyrmions and merons which can form in chiral liquid crystals such as cholesteric and blue phases. Finally, the analogy of these classes of defects with those occurring in non-collinear magnetic materials is considered.

This chapter reviews the computer simulation of simple lattice models for uniaxial and biaxial nematic systems. Beyond being interesting in their own right for understanding the orientational properties of LCs, these models, e.g. the Lebwohl–Lasher one, are computationally unexpensive in relative terms, and provide a useful test bed for developing techniques for studying LCs that can then be employed also for off-lattice and atomistic models. Here the investigation of the orientational phase transition, assessing its type, as well as the identification of topological defects and the calculation of DNMR spectra in bulk and confined nematics (droplets, films) are discussed.

Here, we develop cosmological perturbation theory. This is the basics of CMB physics. The main reason why the CMB allows such an accurate determination of cosmological parameters lies in the fact that its anisotropies are small and can be determined mainly within first-order perturbation theory. We derive the perturbations of Einstein’s equations and the energy {momentum conservation equations and solve them for some simple but relevant cases. We also discuss the perturbation equation for light-like geodesics. This is sufficient to calculate the CMB anisotropies in the so-called instant recombination approximation. The main physical efffects that are missed in such a treatment are Silk damping on small scales and polarization. We then introduce the matter and CMB power spectrum and draw our first conclusions for its dependence on cosmological and primordial parameters. For example, we derive an approximate formula for the position of the acoustic peaks. In the last section we discuss fluctuations not laid down at some initial time but continuously sourced by some inhomogeneous component, a source, such as, for topological defects example, / that / may form during a phase transition in the early universe.

Here, we develop cosmological perturbation theory. This is the basics of CMB physics. The main reason why the CMB allows such an accurate determination of cosmological parameters lies in the fact that its anisotropies are small and can be determined mainly within first-order perturbation theory. We derive the perturbations of Einstein’s equations and the energy {momentum conservation equations and solve them for some simple but relevant cases. We also discuss the perturbation equation for light-like geodesics. This is sufficient to calculate the CMB anisotropies in the so-called instant recombination approximation. The main physical effects that are missed in such a treatment are Silk damping on small scales and polarization. We then introduce the matter and CMB power spectrum and draw our first conclusions for its dependence on cosmological and primordial parameters. For example, we derive an approximate formula for the position of the acoustic peaks. In the last section we discuss fluctuations not laid down at some initial time but continuously sourced by some inhomogeneous component, a source, such as, for topological defects example, / that / may form during a phase transition in the early universe.