Brownian motors in the photoalignment of liquid crystals

T. Kosa, E. Weinan, P. Palffy-Muhoray

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the photoalignment of liquid crystals with dissolved dyes or in the presence of dye doped alignment layers, light can cause reorientation of the liquid crystal director against a restoring elastic torque essentially without the transfer of angular momentum. We show that this phenomenon originates in an orientational ratchet mechanism, where, under photoexcitation, the dye molecules act as rotors of a Brownian motor.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1077-1084
Number of pages8
JournalInternational Journal of Engineering Science
Volume38
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2000
EventThe Eringen Symposium Dedicated to Pierre-Gilles De Gennes - 36th Annual Technical Meeting of the Society of Engineeing Science - Pullman, WA, USA
Duration: Sep 27 1998Sep 30 1998

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Materials Science
  • General Engineering
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering

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