Preparation of Photonic Materials with Liquid Crystals and Their Applications in Information Technologies

Abstract

Photochemically induced change in alignment oF liquid crystals is rcviewed, focusing on two types ol alignment change: 1) change in director of liquid crystals in liquid-crystatlline phases, and 2) liquid crystal to isotropic phase transition. In both cases, a large change in retractive index is obtained and photonic applications of liquid crystals are discussed in terms of refractive-index modulation.