title: Study of azo dye surface command photoalignment material for photonics applications.
abstract: We provide detailed quantitative characterization of sulfonic bisazodye SD1 as a photoalignment material for photonics applications. The reversibility of photoalignment was tested for transformations between planar and 90 degrees twist orientation states in a liquid crystal (LC) cell using polarized UV light. No degradation was observed for 100 cycles of transformations. A given twist angle of the LC orientation was obtained in a single step, as well as in a sequence of gradually increasing angles. A hysteresis is revealed in the latter case for planar-twist-planar cycles. The material was used for obtaining patterned orientation of a LC polymer providing similarly good quality photoalignment for UV as well as visible light. High efficiency large area and high spatial frequency optical axis gratings (or, polarization gratings) were demonstrated on a polycarbonate substrate. We show the opportunity of obtaining photoalignment in a multilayer system with single exposure to a polarized light. Finally, we provide evidence of a positive feedback in the dynamics of photoalignment due to the orientational effect of an increasing number of aligned molecules.
authors.affiliation: Beam Engineering for Advanced Measurements Company, 809 South Orlando Avenue Suite I, Winter Park, Florida 32789, USA.
authors.forename: Sarik R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Nersisyan
authors.forename: Nelson V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Tabiryan
authors.forename: Diane M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Steeves
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Kimball
authors.forename: Vladimir G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Chigrinov
authors.forename: Hoi Sing
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kwok