Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-gvh9x Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-16T10:47:41.713Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Liquid Crystal Photonics: Optical Switching and Image Storage by Means of Azobenzene Liquid-Crystal Films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

A. Shishido ,
O. Tsutsumi  and
T. Ikeda
A. Shishido
Affiliation:
Research Laboratory of Resources Utilization, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226, Japan, tikeda@res.titech.ac.jp
O. Tsutsumi
Affiliation:
Research Laboratory of Resources Utilization, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226, Japan, tikeda@res.titech.ac.jp
T. Ikeda
Affiliation:
Research Laboratory of Resources Utilization, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226, Japan, tikeda@res.titech.ac.jp
Get access

Abstract

Optical switching and image storage were explored by means of azobenzene liquid crystals (LCs). Azobenzene derivatives with monomeric and polymeric forms were prepared, which show nematic LC phase in the trans form while no LC phase in the cis form. On pulse irradiation at 355 nm, which causes trans-cis isomerization of the azobenzene moiety, these azobenzene LC films underwent nematic (N) to isotropic (1) phase transition in 100 ˜ 200 μs as probed by change in transmittance of a He-Ne laser through crossed polarizers (transmission-mode analysis) or change in reflectivity at the interface between the sample and glass substrate (reflection-mode analysis). In the reflection-mode analysis, the decay was faster than that observed in the transmission-mode analysis. The N phase recovered through the cis-trans thermal backisomerization process in the transmission-mode analysis, while it was restored through diffusion of the cis form, followed by reorientation of the trans form which replaced the cis form in the interface region, in the reflection-mode analysis. The photochemical N-I phase transition was also induced in 200 μs below Tg of the polymer azobenzene LC. Image could be stored into the polymer azobenzene LC film on photoirradiation to bring about the N-I phase transition and the stored image remained unchanged even after one year when it was kept below Tg of the polymer.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 425: Symposium I – Liquid Crystals for Advanced Technologies , 1996 , 213
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Ogura, K., Hirabayashi, H., Uejima, A., Nakamura, K., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 58, 1154–1158 (1983).Google Scholar
2. Odulov, S.G., Reznikov, Yu.A., Soskin, M.S., Khizhnyak, A.I., Sov. Phys. JETP 58, 1154–1158 (1983).Google Scholar
3. Tazuke, S., Kurihara, S., Ikeda, T., Chem. Lett. 911–914 (1987).Google Scholar
4. Ichimura, K., Suzuki, Y., Seki, T., Hosoki, A., Aoki, K., Langumuir 4, 1214–1217 (1988).Google Scholar
5. Kurihara, S., Ikeda, T., Sasaki, T., Kim, H.-B., Tazuke, S., J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1751–1752 (1990).Google Scholar
6. Kurihara, S., Ikeda, T., Tazuke, S., Seto, J., J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans. 87, 3251–3254 (1991).Google Scholar
7. Ikeda, T., Sasaki, T., Ichimura, K., Nature 361, 428–430 (1993).Google Scholar
8. Sasaki, T., Ikeda, T., Ichimura, K., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 116, 625–628 (1994).Google Scholar
9. Ikeda, T., Sasaki, T., Kim, H.-B., J. Phys. Chem. 95, 509–511 (1991).Google Scholar
10. Ikeda, T., Tsutsunmi, O., Science 268, 1873–1875 (1995).Google Scholar
11. Weygand, C., Gabler, R., J. Prakt. Chem. 155, 322–341 (1940).Google Scholar
12. Angeloni, A.S., Caretti, D., Carlini, C., Chiellini, G., Galli, G., Altomare, A., Solaro, R., Liq. Cryst. 4, 513–527 (1989).Google Scholar
13. Born, M., Wolf, E., in Principles of Optics, 2nd ed. (Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1964), pp. 38–51.Google Scholar
14. Rau, H., Luddecke, E., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 104, 1616–1621 (1982).Google Scholar
15. Naito, T., Horie, K., Mita, I., Macromolecules 24, 2907–2911 (1991).Google Scholar
16. Sung, C.S.P., Gould, I.R., Turro, N.J., Macromolecules 17, 1447–1451 (1984).Google Scholar
17. Victor, J.G., Torkelson, J.M., Macromolecules 20, 2241–2250 (1987).Google Scholar
18. Mita, I., Horie, K., Hirao, K., Macromolecules 22, 558–563 (1989).Google Scholar
19. Neff, V.D., in Liquid Crystals and Plastic Crystals, edited by Gray, G.W., Winsor, P.A. (Ellis Horwood, Chichester, U.K., 1974), Vol.2, pp. 231–253.Google Scholar