Photomagnetic effects in organic paramagnetic liquid crystals

Abstract

Magnetic properties in materials without metals are usually too weak to be detected above room temperature. We synthesized a nitroxide radical (NR) showing large change of the magnetic properties at the phase transition between smectic C* and isotropic liquid phases. The obtained NR shows the temperature dependent reversible switching of paramagnetic susceptibility at the phase transition. Furthermore, the NR doped with an azobenzene analogue exhibits the photo-induced switching of magnetic properties at the photo-induced phase transition.