Photochemical phase transition of photochromic azobenzene liquid crystals (LCs) was explored by means of a pico-second laser pulse. On irradiation with the laser pulse at 355 nm, which causes trans-cis photoisomerization of the azobenzene moiety, nematic (N)-to-isotropic (I) phase transition was induced rapidly: The disappearance of the initial N phase occurred in 1 μs.
