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Effects of polarization azimuth in dynamics of electrically assisted light-induced gliding of nematic liquid-crystal easy axis

We experimentally study the reorientation dynamics of the nematic liquid crystal easy axis at photoaligned azo-dye films under the combined action of in-plane electric field and reorienting UV light linearly polarized at varying polarization azimuth, $ϕ_p$. In contrast to the case where the light polarization vector is parallel to the initial easy axis and $ϕ_p=0$, at $ϕ_p\ne 0$, the pronounced purely photoinduced reorientation is observed outside the interelectrode gaps. In the regions between electrodes with non-zero electric field, it is found that the dynamics of reorientation slows down with $ϕ_p$ and the sense of easy axis rotation is independent of the sign of $ϕ_p$.