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Original Articles

Low-Power Laser Induced Instabilities in Smectic A Liquid Crystals

, , , &
Pages 259-270 | Published online: 23 Sep 2006
 

Abstract

A low power He-Ne laser beam is shown to induce layer instabilities in a smectic A liquid crystal cell possessing initial homeotropic orientation. The effect occurs when the smectic A phase is doped with a photosensitive azo-compound. The most plausible mechanism for the instability is photo-transformation of the guest molecules (e.g. trans-cis isomerization), and a subsequent decrease in the smectic layer spacing.

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