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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light
Published on: September 20, 2017
Surface-induced nonlinearities of liquid crystals driven by an electric field
L Lucchetti1, M Gentili, F Simoni
1Dipartimento di Fisica e Ingegneria dei Materiali e del Territorio and CNISM, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy. l.lucchetti@univpm.it
Abstract:
We report the study of the effect of a static electric field on the huge optical nonlinearity of methyl-red doped nematic liquid crystals. Experimental data are well fitted using a theoretical model that takes into account the modulation of the surface charge density due to the impinging light beam. It is demonstrated that the optical nonlinearity can be varied by orders of magnitude with application of a low voltage below the threshold of the Fredericks transition. These results confirm the previously proposed model of surface induced nonlinear effects.
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