针对偶氮染料掺杂向列型液晶的光学重新取向问题,采用一个与实际光致异构化过程更为接近的染料分子四能级模型,并通过微观分析方法求解四能级速率方程组,得到了与系统分子参数有关的增强因子微观表达式.该表达式说明了偶氮染料掺杂液晶取向光学非线性增强的根源,揭示了在存在光致异构和不存在光致异构两种情况下液晶取向光学非线性增强的内在特点和机理.从四能级模型增强因子出发,通过合并其中某些参数,或使其中某些参数为零,推得了三能级模型下增强因子的形式和入射光波长不处于顺式吸收带内时增强因子的表达式.通过比较分析,说明了用四能级模型解释偶氮染料掺杂向列型液晶非线性增强机理具有优越性.并指出,当入射光波长不处于顺式吸收带时,在快速响应条件下,理论与Marrucci针对蒽醌染料掺杂液晶提出的修正理论具有一致性.
The mechanism of the orientational optical nonlinearity enhancement in the azo-dye doped liquid crystals is studied. The expressions of the enhancement factors based on the multiple-level transition model of azo-compound are derived. Our results show that, the simpler the model, the fewer the number of items contained in the expression of the enhancement factor. Using the enhancement factor expression obtained by the four-level model to describe the influences of the photoisomerization of azo-dyes on the enhancement of orientational optical nonlinearity is better than using that acquired by the three-level model. Besides, the expression of the enhancement factors in the case that the cis molecules do not absorb light is also obtained from the enhancement factor expression obtained by the four-level model. Except for a minor difference, the enhancement factor expression obtained in this case is the same as what was obtained for the anthraquinone-dye doped liquid crystals by Marrucci et al in 1997. This result also shows that under a given simplified condition, our theory is consistent with the last theory.