Flow-alignment and inertial effects in picosecond laser-induced reorientation phenomena of nematic liquid crystals

H. J. Eichler and R. Macdonald
Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 2666 – Published 4 November 1991
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Abstract

Collective molecular-reorientation phenomena in the nematic liquid crystal 5CB are investigated in dynamic-grating experiments using picosecond excitation pulses. Grating buildup and decay is monitored by diffraction of a cw laser beam. It is shown that molecular reorientation still increases after the excitation pulse but relaxes exponentially later. The observed dynamics can be explained by a flow-alignment theory considering photoelastic stresses leading to additional forces besides the optical torques, which are well known from previous experiments.

  • Received 11 February 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.67.2666

©1991 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

H. J. Eichler and R. Macdonald

  • Optisches Institut, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17 Juni 135, D-1000 Berlin 12, Germany

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Issue

Vol. 67, Iss. 19 — 4 November 1991

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