Short low‐energy pulses of laser light have been used to switch spots on a liquid crystal (LC) through a coupled photoconductive film of glow‐discharge‐produced amorphous Si (GD/a‐Si). The a‐Si responds rapidly to a light pulse, yet retains sufficient photoconductivity in the slow portion of the decay to match the slower response time of the LC. Spots have been written with laser pulses 10 &mgr;s long, about 10−3the response time of the LC, and with a pulse energy of 1–10 &mgr;J/cm2, less than 10−4the energy required for thermal writing.