3C01 アゾベンゼン高分子薄膜による高分子液晶の光配向制御

抄録

Surface-assisted photocontrol of polymer liquid crystals by irradiation of a film of azobenzene polymer with linearly polarized light (LPL) is studied here. Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) were spin-coated on a film of poly(4-cyano-4'-methacryloyloxyazobenzene) (CN0) which shows extraordinary thermal stability of photoaligned state. The transfer of photoaligned state of a CN0 film to LCP layer was successively achieved by annealing at around clearing temperature of LCPs. In-situ observation of orientational changes of LCPs was performed by thermal scanning transmitted ellipsometry during heat treatment. Orientation of LCPs was induced from their glass transition temperatures and disappeared at their clearing temperatures. Birefringent photoimages of μm order lines and spaces can be recorded in an LC polymer layer by controlling the orientation.