Thermo-Optical Generation of Particle-Like Structures in Frustrated Chiral Nematic Film

Abstract

The creation of metastable particle-like structures in frustrated (unwound) chiral nematic film containing light-absorbing additive is studied. It is shown that such localized structures can be generated by the thermo-optical action of a focused laser beam or arise spontaneously at a phase transition from an isotropic to a liquid crystal state. Observed axisymmetric patterns resemble cholesteric spherulites with toroidal double-twisted director-field configuration.

Keywords

• chiral nematic liquid crystal
• azobenzene dye
• light-matter interaction
• phase transition
• particle-like structure
• optical memory
• nonlinear optics