Researchers have developed a novel way for liquid crystals to retain information about their movement. Using this method could advance technologies like memory devices and sensors, as well as pave the way to future soft materials that are both smart and flexible.

Liquid crystals, which are used in liquid crystal display (LCD) screens for TVs and phones, contain molecules that mimic the properties of both liquids and solids, giving them unique properties. While soft materials like liquids, gels and polymers have been widely used for their easy-to-process structures and lightweight properties, they tend to deform easily and often require replacement.

Everyday materials are made of molecules that align themselves in preferred directions. But liquid crystals could become much more useful if their molecules are all facing in one direction—obtaining what is called polar order.