Light-induced nonhomogeneity and gradient bending in photochromic liquid crystal elastomers

The recently reported opto-mechanical effect of some photochromic liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) is studied. It is found that in such LCEs, material parameters such as the Young's modulus and the stress-free strains will become nonhomogeneous under light irradiations. One may call them the light-induced functionally gradient materials. Analytical expressions for the dependence of the material parameters on the space variable and possibly on the time variable are obtained. Exponential dependence can be derived under certain approximations. As an example, the light-induced bending of a beam is studied. Two neutral planes are found in the beam. Thus, along the thickness of the beam, there are extensions in the upper and lower parts and contractions in the middle.