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Updated: Nov 21, 2025

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals
Published on: May 29, 2018
Polymer-Nematic Liquid Crystal Interface: On the Role of the Liquid Crystalline Molecular Structure and the Phase
Ameer R K Nassrah1, István Jánossy1, Viktor Kenderesi1
1Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, P.O. Box 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary.
Abstract:
We provide experimental evidence for the influence of the molecular structure of the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) on the photoalignment process in three dimensions at the interface with a polymer layer. In particular, the experimental findings are explained through the presence (or absence) of the π-π aromatic interactions between the NLC and the polymer. The influence of the nematic-to-smectic A phase transition on the photocontrol is also addressed. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the photo-induced reorientation scenarios can be eventually connected to conformational changes in the photosensitive polymer.
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