Influence of supramolecular order on the light-induced reorientation process in photochromic side group polymers

A new approach for optical data storage is presented using amorphous films of photochromic polymers. Concerning the tendency to form supramolecular order these polymers are situated at the border between amorphous and Liquid Crystalline Polymers (LCP's). The light-induced reorientation of the photochromic azobenzene moieties by an angular-dependent photoselection process may cause a reorientation of the non-photochromic moieties. In this way an optical axis is generated in the initially amorphous films by a photochemically induced physical orientation process. The resulting values of optical anisotropy are close to those of aligned LCP films.