Photoreaction in mesogenic media, 5. Photoinduced optical anisotropy of liquid‐crystalline sidechain polymers with azochromophores by linearly polarized light of low intensity

A novel process of photo-induced orientation and optical anisotropy in the whole matrix of a photochromic liquid-crystalline polymer (LCP) in the glassy state via angular-dependent photoselection by the absorption of linearly polarized light with low intensity is presented. Spectroscopical and conoscopical studies give information about the interaction between azochromophores and the mesogenic side chains in homeotropic and homogeneous LCP monodomain films as a result of the photoselection process. Novel variations of erasable optical storage are described using photochromic LCPs in combination with polarized light