Holographic recording study of a hybrid liquid crystal system doped with dye and fullerene

Abstract We report the results of a grating diffraction experiment in which an anthraquinone dye (Disperse Blue 14), and Fullerene (C60), are doped at the same time to nematic liquid crystal host. The change of refractive index, originated by photo induced molecular reorientation, causes an enhanced diffraction capability over the other dye doped liquid crystal systems containing only a single agent. Disperse Blue 14 component of the proposed system satisfies the absorption based reorientation under the illumination of He–Ne laser while C60 brings about photoconductivity enhancement. Accessible diffraction efficiency is ∼15% under optimum circumstances and analysed results establish a better reorientation lifetime by the common usage of both additives in our hybrid system in the sense that fullerene component improves both efficiency and response dynamics.