Dynamics of light-induced reorientation in planar cell filled with the azo-dye doped nematic liquid crystal

Abstract

There have been intense research interests in the field of nonlinear optical materials capable of recording permanent holographic gratings. The goals to be achieved include low recording intensity, high storage density, and fast recording/erasing times. One of the promising directions in this field is the use of cells filled with azo dye-doped nematic liquid crystals as a recording medium. The present work is devoted to the study of recording mechanisms in such objects. The processes of formation of a director of permanent orientation in a nematic liquid crystal doped with an azo dye in a cell with two different limiting surfaces under light irradiation are studied. It is shown that the fixation of the director on the surface with a weak adhesion energy, caused by the competition of the adsorption and desorption processes of the dye, depends on the polarization of the irradiating light.