A liquid crystal opto-optical switch: Nondestructive information retrieval based on a photochromic fulgide as trigger

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00138a005

Liquid crystals are a unique medium for sensing small structural changes in their environment. Cholesteric liquid crystals respond to these forces by changing their pitch. A photochromic dopant in a cholesteric liquid crystal was used to translate optical input to observable pitch change. The change is reversible solely by action of light, and a cyclic mode of operation is demonstrated. The information encoded by light can be read optically without its , destruction. The doped liquid crystal system does not show fatigue during the course of these experiments.