Three-dimensional orientational control of molecules by slantwise photoirradiation
- 17 August 1998
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters
- Vol. 73 (7) , 921-923
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.122038
Abstract
When a film of poly[2-(4-phenylazophenyloxy)ethyl methacrylate] is subjected to irradiation with nonpolarized 436 nm light for n-π* excitation at an oblique incident angle with respect to a film surface, dichroism is induced as a result of the reorientation of azobenzene chromophores. The orientational direction is determined reversibly by an incident plane of the light while azobenzene residues reorient in a direction parallel with the light propagation. This procedure is applicable to the generation of tilt angles of nematic liquid crystals assisted by obliquely photoirradiated films as a function of exposure doses, maintaining homogeneous alignment during photoirradiation.Keywords
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