We report a new class of colossal nonlinear effects observed at the nematic-isotropic temperature transition. Large diffraction efficiency (30%) and colossal nonlinear refractive index (n2≈200 cm2/W) has been measured in randomly oriented thin (1 μm) films of 5CB liquid crystals doped with small quantities of the azo dye methyl red (1% wt). Additionally, the dye reduces the phase transition temperature of the liquid crystal by almost 4 degrees C. We also found that ITO-coated glass substrate gives larger diffraction efficiency than those where only glass was used.
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