Dancing with Light

Recent progress in this field indicates that integrating photochromic molecules into LC materials enables one to photo-manipulate unique features such as photoinduced phase transition, photocontrolled alignment and phototriggered molecular cooperative motion, leading to their novel applications beyond displays. This book introduces readers to this field, from the primary- to the advanced level in photoresponsive LC materials. The subject is introduced step-by-step, including the basic knowledge of LCs, photoresponsive properties of LCs, and their detailed performances in the form of low-molecular-weight compound, polymer, cross-linked elastomer, and block copolymer.