Reversible Phase Transition and Rapid Switching of Azobenzene-Doped Cholesteric Liquid Crystals With a Single Laser

[[abstract]]We demonstrate the photoinduced phase transition and reversible switching of a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) doped with a high concentration of azobenzene LC (azo-LC). The photoinduced isotropic (PHI) state (light "ON") is created by the irradiation of a 405 nm laser, which generates cis-isomers that destabilize the cholesteric phase and make the LC transmissive. The response time is reduced by increasing the concentration of the doped azo-LC ( 2 hr) for the cis-to-trans thermal isomerization reaction. We demonstrate a rapid (