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The light-induced deformation of two-component polymer networks with liquid crystalline (LC) mesogens and azobenzene chromophores attached covalently to the network strands is theoretically studied. It is shown that preferential reorientation of chromophores perpendicular to the polarization direction of the light E leads to the reorientation of the mesogens due to LC interactions between the chromophores and mesogens. Reorientation of both components under light illumination leads to the light-induced deformation of the polymer network. The sign of deformation (expansion / contraction with respect to the vector E) and the magnitude of deformation is determined by the orientation distribution of the mesogens and chromophores inside the network strands. The magnitude of deformation increases with increase of the volume fraction of chromophores and the strength of LC interactions between the components.
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