Light-induced anchoring of dye-doped liquid crystal on ITO and polyvinyl-cinnamate aligning surfaces

E. Ouskova; Andrey G. Iljin; Yuri A. Reznikov

doi:10.1117/12.428295

30 May 2001 Light-induced anchoring of dye-doped liquid crystal on ITO and polyvinyl-cinnamate aligning surfaces

E. Ouskova, Andrey G. Iljin, Yuri A. Reznikov

Proceedings Volume 4418, Eighth International Conference on Nonlinear Optics of Liquid and Photorefractive Crystals; 44180B (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.428295
Event: Eighth International Conference on Nonlinear Optics of Liquid and Photorefractive Crystals, 2000, Alushta, Crimea, Ukraine

Abstract

We studied alignment of dye-doped liquid crystal (LC) on non-photosensitive aligning surfaces after the irradiation with polarized light of the cell with LC being in a nematic phase. The stable planar alignment of LC 5CB doped with a dye Methyl Red (MR) was observed in the irradiated areas. Light sensitivity, direction of easy axis and thermal stability of the light-induced alignment of LC were different for ITO and fluoro-polyvinyl-cinnamate (PVCN-F) aligning surfaces. The characteristics of the alignment also differed from that obtained with the irradiation of the cells with LC being in the isotropic phase. These results point out at a crucial role of both LC orientational ordering and the nature of the aligning surface in the effect the light-induced anchoring. The ordering of dye molecules results in a formation of an anisotropic dark- adsorbed MR layer on the aligning surface after the cell filling. Therefore, the light-induced easy axis is forming on the background of the dark-adsorbed anisotropic layer of dye molecules, and the final anchoring is determined by the cumulative effect of the dark and light-induced anchoring. The difference in the light-induced anchoring on ITO and PVCN-F surfaces is explained by different mechanisms of light-induced anisotropy in adsorbed MR layer. In the case of ITO surface this mechanism is the isomerization of MR molecules, while the MR molecules desorption/adsorption processes provide light-induced anisotropy in the adsorbed on the PVCN-F surface layer.

Citation Download Citation

E. Ouskova, Andrey G. Iljin, and Yuri A. Reznikov "Light-induced anchoring of dye-doped liquid crystal on ITO and polyvinyl-cinnamate aligning surfaces", Proc. SPIE 4418, Eighth International Conference on Nonlinear Optics of Liquid and Photorefractive Crystals, 44180B (30 May 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.428295

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