Antal Jakli

Antal Jakli is a Professor and Director of Materials Science at Kent State University, affiliated with the Liquid Crystal Institute and the Department of Physics. He earned his Ph.D. in Statistical Physics from Eötvös University, Budapest, in 1986, and joined Kent State in 1999. His research bridges fundamental physics and applied materials science, with a focus on electro-active soft matter.

Dr. Jakli's research explores:

• Electro-active materials: Ionic elastomers for low-voltage soft robotics and tunable lenses.
• Ferroelectric nematics: Novel phases with applications in energy-efficient displays.
• Responsive textiles: Liquid crystal-clad fibers for wearable health/environmental sensors.
• Biosensing: Liquid crystal-based antigen detection with ELISA sensitivity.

His publications emphasize ferroelectric liquid crystals, electro-optical devices, and smart materials, with recent work on microlens arrays and field-induced instabilities in nematic fluids.

Awards:

• Alfred Saupe Prize (2020)
• Outstanding Research Scholar, Kent State (2012)
• Luckhurst-Samulski Prize (2010)
• Young Scientist Awards (1986, 1989)

He mentors over 30 graduate students and collaborates with institutions like the Max Planck Institute. His lab develops functional materials for optics, sensing, and soft robotics, supported by grants from the Department of Education and ICAM.