Cyril Hilsum, a British physicist whose pioneering work on liquid crystals helped make possible the flat-panel displays used in televisions, computers and smartphones, died on 23 September at the age of 101. He served as president of the Institute of Physics from 1988 to 1990 and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1990 for services to the electrical and electronics industry.
Born on 17 May 1925, Hilsum completed a physics degree at University College London in 1945. He began his career at the Admiralty Research Laboratory in Teddington before moving to the Services Electronics Research Laboratory in Baldock. His early work focused on semiconductor devices, and he went on to create the UK's first semiconductor laser.
In 1964, Hilsum joined the Royal Radar Research Establishment in Malvern, Worcestershire, where he developed the first microwave oscillator based on the negative resistance effect in gallium arsenide. His research on miniature radar systems led to Claribel, a device that could detect the trajectory of a bullet and help locate snipers.
Hilsum also led a team that developed the first stable liquid crystals suitable for flat-panel displays. That invention, which paved the way for the LCD screens still widely used today, generated £100 million in royalties for the British government. In the 1970s, his contributions to liquid crystal technology helped lay the foundation for modern television and computer displays.
In 1983, Hilsum was appointed chief scientist of the GEC Hirst Research Centre, where he became research director two years later. He officially retired in 1995 at the age of 70 but continued working part-time as chief science officer for Infi-tex Ltd, a company that produces force sensors for use in textiles.
His inventive drive continued well into his later years. Hilsum built a laboratory in his house in Pinner, where he made his final invention: an ink containing sensors that conduct electricity. At the age of 97, this earned him the last of more than 70 patents.
Over his career, Hilsum received numerous honours. The Institute of Physics awarded him the Max Born Prize in 1987, the Faraday Medal in 1988 and the Richard Glazebrook Medal and Prize in 1998. In 2007, the Royal Society awarded him its Royal Medal for his many outstanding contributions and for continuing to use his prodigious talents on behalf of industry, government and academia.
Hilsum was also a strong advocate for women in science. He sponsored the Karen Burt Award at the Women's Engineering Society, named after his daughter, an engineer who died in 1997 at the age of 42. Last year, he celebrated his 100th birthday at a special event held at the Royal Society of Chemistry.
His death marks the passing of a scientist whose work bridged fundamental research and commercial application, leaving a lasting impact on display technology and semiconductor physics.
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