Biography
Professor Steve Elston undertook his first degree (in maths and physics) at Exeter University. He then stayed on at Exeter in the physics department to study for his Ph.D. under the direction of Prof. Roy Sambles (FRS).
He moved to Oxford in 1991, holding a senior research fellowship at Somerville College funded by GEC/Marconi and the Royal Academy of Engineering. This was followed by a Royal Society Research Fellowship.
In 1996, Steve became a university lecturer in engineering science at Oxford, held jointly with a tutorial fellowship at St. John’s College.
Research Interests
Steve's present research interests are mainly in the field of novel liquid crystal materials and applications, within which he undertakes both theoretical and experimental work.
The theoretical work has three main strands: (i) the applications of liquid crystal continuum theory to novel liquid crystal phases; (ii) the interactions between order and elasticity in liquid crystalline systems; (iii) advanced optics of liquid crystal displays.
Experimental work undertaken includes the study of alignment and switching processes in novel liquid crystal phases, and also the applications of liquid crystalline materials in both display technology and surface sensing systems.
