LAUSR

Abstract Dye-doped nematic liquid-crystalline polymers exhibit much higher orientational optical response than the systems based on low-molar-mass liquid crystals. In addition, polymer materials possess the glassy state, which allows one to record their supramolecular structure. We study the effect of light field inhomogeneity on the director deformation in the geometry of Freedericksz transition and recording of corresponding phase structures. The relationship of the light beam width with the threshold light intensity and the size of the induced and recorded deformation region was determined. An influence of the beam waist radius on the polymer director relaxation time was detected. The results of numerical calculations based on the continuum theory and the independence of the enhancement factor of the optical torque on light–polymer interaction geometry agree with the experimental data.