Photochromic chiral liquid-crystalline mixed formulations: A new class of materials for data recording and storage

This paper describes the phase behavior and optical properties of the mixed formulation of a chiral 1-menthanone derivative as a photosensitive dopant and a cholesteric copolymer. It is shown that the exposure of the planar-oriented films of the mixture to UV radiation considerably decreases the wavelength of the selective reflection maximum owing to the E-Z isomerization of the dopant. The kinetics of photoisomerization of the cholesteric films of the mixture is measured at various temperatures. The mixed formulation prepared is a unique promising medium for colored data recording and storage. (C) 1999 The Optical Society of America. [S1070-9762(99)02106-5].