Light-induced modification of polar anchoring in conically-aligned nematic doped with anthraquinone dichroic dyes

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2024.126642

Nematic liquid crystal layers doped with dichroic anthraquinone dyes at the hybrid tangential-conical boundary conditions have been considered under light irradiation. The samples under study are sensitive to the exposure time, light polarization and wavelength that leads to a modification of the optical textures, which persists for a long time. It has been shown this effect is caused by a dye-initiated change in the director tilt angle at the conical-anchored substrate. The results obtained are of interest for the development of liquid crystal sensors with tunable optical characteristics under the influence of low-power light.