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Updated: Oct 17, 2025

Novel Techniques for Observing Structural Dynamics of Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals
Published on: May 29, 2018
Analysis of Molecular Disordering Processes in the Phase Transition of Liquid Crystals Observed by
1Department of Applied Chemistry, Chuo University, Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan.
Abstract:
The initial processes of the phase transition dynamics of liquid crystals (LCs) subject to UV pulse irradiation were clarified using a nanosecond time-resolved imaging technique called pattern-illumination time-resolved phase microscopy (PI-PM). Two types of LCs were studied: a photo-responsive LC and dye-doped LCs. We found two steps of molecular disordering processes in the phase transition, namely local disordering proceeding anisotropically, followed by the spreading of the isotropic phase. These two processes were separated for a photo-responsive LC while being simultaneously observed for the dye-doped LCs. It was found that the photomechanical dyes induced the phase transition process faster than the photothermal dyes.
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