Light-Induced Director Reorientation in Nematic Liquid Crystals Doped with Azobenzene-Containing Macromolecules of Different Architecture

Abstract

Abstract The results of the studies of the orientational optical nonlinearity of a nematic host doped with high-molar-mass compounds of different molecular architecture such as a comb-like polymer and a dendrimer containing azobenzene chromophores are presented. The nonlinearity induced by these compounds was found to be higher than that induced by the low-molar-mass dyes similar in structure to the light-absorbing constituents of the polymer and dendrimer. Possible reasons for the nonlinearity enhancement for macromolecular dopants are discussed. Keywords: dendrimersdyesnematic liquid crystalsoptical nonlinearitypolymers Acknowledgments The authors are grateful to Dr. S. G. Kostromin for synthesis of substances 1 and 1′. The study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (projects nos. 05-02-17418, 07-03-01089, 08-02-01382, and 08-03-00481) and Program COST-D35. I.A.B. and M.P.S. are grateful to the Program of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Support of Young Scientists". M.P.S. is also indebted to the Russian Science Support Foundation.