Effects of Photo-Controlled Nanophase Segregation in a Re-entrant Nematic Liquid Crystal

Abstract

Liquid crystals composed of photoactive groups, such as azobenzene, are promising materials for optical switching and image storage applications. On exposure to light LC materials commonly undergo an order-to disorder transition. Here, an unusual disorder-to-order transition is presented (the Figure shows a photo-induced smectic texture surrounded by a nematic phase), and a photo-controlled nanophase segregation mechanism is invoked to explain it.