Optical Switching of Antiferroelectric Liquid Crystal with Azo-Dye Using Photochemically Induced SmC A *-SmC* Phase Transition

We have studied the photochemically induced phase transition from SmC A * to SmC* by Ar+ laser light irradiation (wavelength 514 nm) in an antiferroelectric liquid crystal doped with photochromic azo-dye molecules. Using this phase transition, we have demonstrated the optical switching under a bias voltage of 6.2 V. A response time of 1.5 s was achieved by 55 mW/cm2 irradiation at 30°C.