Polymer-Nematic Liquid Crystal Interface: On the Role of the Liquid Crystalline Molecular Structure and the Phase Sequence in Photoalignment.

We provide experimental evidence for the influence of the molecular structure of the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) on the photoalignment process in three dimensions at the interface with a polymer layer. In particular, the experimental findings are explained through the presence (or absence) of the π-π aromatic interactions between the NLC and the polymer. The influence of the nematic-to-smectic A phase transition on the photocontrol is also addressed. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the photo-induced reorientation scenarios can be eventually connected to conformational changes in the photosensitive polymer.

Photo-Orientation of Liquid Crystals on Azo Dye-Containing Polymers.

In this communication, we summarise our results related to light-induced orientational phenomena at liquid crystal-polymer interfaces. We investigated photoalignment for various nematics at the interface with the photosensitive polymer layer polymethyl methacrilate functionalised with azo dye Disperse Red 1. It was found that the efficiency of photoalignment exhibits marked differences depending on the structure of the rigid core of the liquid crystal molecules. It was demonstrated that the photo-orientation process is also significantly affected by the type of mesophase in which irradiation is carried out. The observations highlight the importance of the mutual influence of the polymer and the liquid crystal in light-induced processes.

Laser-induced instabilities in liquid crystal cells with a photosensitive substrate.

Liquid crystal layers sandwiched between a reference plate and a photosensitive substrate were investigated. We focused on the reverse geometry, where the cell was illuminated by a laser beam from the reference side. In planar cells both static and dynamic instabilities occurred, depending on the angle between the laser polarization and the director orientation on the reference plate. In cells where the molecules were aligned along the normal of the reference plate, a dynamic pattern was observed at all angles of polarization. A simple model based on a photoinduced surface torque accounts for the findings. Light scattering studies revealed some basic properties of the instabilities.

Director reorientation in a nematic liquid crystal with a photosensitive layer.

We use a molecular-motor model previously proposed for a nematic cell with an azo-dye monolayer to calculate the director orientation when light is normally impinged on the cell. We consider an initial planar configuration for which one of the surrounding plates, which we call the reference plate, is submitted to a hard-anchoring boundary condition. The other confining plate has a coating monolayer of azo-dye molecules such that the change of the orientation of azo-dye isomers, due to light, causes changes in the nematic director. The boundary conditions on both plates along with the optical field determine the director configuration in the bulk. The existence of periodic solutions for the density of isomers in trans and cis states, corresponding to weak optical fields, has been discussed in the literature. Using a similar approach, we find an approximate expression for the density of isomers, written in terms of the director angle, which allows us to close the equation for the director configuration on the boundary having a photosensitive plate. We decouple the director's angle and the isomer densities by assuming extremely different temporal time scales between them. We show for a given sample that switching times inversely depend on the trans-cis transition rate of photoexcitation whereas relaxation times do not depend on it. On the other hand, switching and relaxation times linearly depend on effective surface viscosity values. Our model allows us to estimate surface viscosity values.

Electromagnetic torque and force in axially symmetric liquid-crystal droplets.

Circularly polarized light exerts torque on birefringent objects. In the case of axially symmetric particles, however, the moment of radiation force balances the direct optical torque. This explains the observation that radial liquid-crystal droplets, in contrast to planar droplets, do not spin in circularly polarized light. The conclusion is in agreement with considerations based on the angular momentum conservation of light [Phys. Rev. Lett.96, 163905 (2006)].