Light Interaction with NLCs Doped with Comb-Shaped Azopolymers with Different Degrees of Polymerization

The light-induced director reorientation in NLCs doped with the comb-shaped azopolymers with different degrees of polymerization (the number of chromophore groups) has been studied. The negative optical nonlinearity (a decrease in the refractive index of the extraordinary wave due to the director rotation away from the light field) was observed for all dopants. It was found that the threshold power of the Freedericksz transition decreases with the polymerization degree. The light-induced Freedericksz transition of the first order was observed for the dopants with lower degrees of polymerization.