The controlled motion of a liquid crystalline active droplet was demonstrated in a surfactant solution and by irradiation with UV light. The droplet could be induced to roll on a glass substrate toward the UV light source. This was explained by the Marangoni flow induced by the UV-induced desorption of surfactants.

LC droplets could be mobilized and direction-controlled by the structure of photo-responsive molecules.

A photo-controllable rotational motion was demonstrated for an isolated cholesteric liquid crystalline droplet in a surfactant solution.

Photo-controllable crystallization at the topological defect in an LC droplet was demonstrated. The dye molecules dissolved in a surfactant solution outside the LC droplet were promoted to move into the droplet by the light absorption. Nuclei emerged tens of seconds after light irradiation and moved toward the topological defect located at the droplet center, forming a branch-shaped crystal. This phenomenon was reproduced for three different dyes, and photo-induced migration, nucleation, and crystal formation were discussed as a possible mechanism.

Photocontrollable crystallization at topological defects in a liquid crystal (LC) droplet was demonstrated. The molecules dissolved in a surfactant solution outside the LC droplet were moved into the droplet via light absorption. Nuclei emerged tens of seconds after light irradiation and moved toward the topological defect located at the droplet center, thus forming a branch-shaped crystal. This phenomenon was reproduced for multiple different molecules; photoinduced migration, nucleation, and crystal formation were discussed as a plausible mechanism.