Molecular interpretation of the absorption-induced optical reorientation of nematic liquid crystals

Abstract

A molecular mechanism is proposed to explain the anomalous optical reorientation observed in nematic guest-host systems. According to the model, light-induced reorientation in these systems is due to the interaction between the excited dye molecules and the nematic host. The model justifies a phenomenological description given earlier. Numerical results, based on the present model, are in agreement with the observed order of magnitude of the effect.