Chameleon Liquid Could Replace LCDs

InvisblePinkUnicorn writes "NewScientist reports on a color-changing liquid that could cheaply replace the color components of standard LCDs. According to researchers at UC Riverside, the liquid 'contains tiny iron oxide particles coated with plastic. It is cheap and easy to make, and could also be used in flexible, rewritable, electronic paper.' From the article: 'The opposing forces of electrostatic repulsion [in the plastic] and magnetic attraction [in the iron oxide] result in the particles arranging themselves into an ordered structure, known as a colloidal "photonic crystal". The colloidal crystal reflects light because the spacing between neighboring particles in the structure is equivalent to the wavelength of light. Also, tuning the spacing slightly alters the exact wavelength, or colour, of light that is reflected. This can easily be done by varying the strength of the magnetic field applied to the crystal.'"

Comments

Re:Probably not. Too many electromagnets

[radl33t]

magnetic fields dissipate rapidly with distance

I love how /.ers just can't resist inane, elementary facts when responding and how so often these respondents seem to convey a much weaker understanding of the subject. Clearly, GP knows a thing or two about magnets, enough that he should be insulted by your given facts. You have no business responding to his post if you are this dense. If one was knowledgeable in an area then they are probably qualified to draw from a larger body of information than the only article, which is obviously the case in this instance. "so there's no reason to believe that it will be necessary to use coils" unless, of course, you know what you're talking about.