title: Photoinduced molecular reorientation dynamics in confined domains of Langmuir monolayers.
abstract: In a photoresponsive Langmuir monolayer comprised of smectic-C-like domains of mesogenic trans-azobenzene derivative embedded within an isotropic matrix of its cis isomer counterpart, several structurally differing circular droplets were irradiated with linearly polarized light. This report describes the structural rearrangements that occurred in these droplets upon illumination followed by Brewster angle microscopy analysis. Starting from initial well-characterized and symmetric states, final photoaligned situations were reached in which the azimuth angles of the rod-shaped elongated molecules were found to be perpendicular to the electric component of the excitation light. The dynamical aspects of the photoalignments, including their transient patterns, are captured by a theoretical model that couples a relaxational principle incorporating long-range elastic forces with a kinetic formalism presenting an anisotropic rate law.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Química Orgànica, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crusats
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Albalat
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Claret
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ignés-Mullol
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reigada
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sagués