Specific features of optical information storage in oriented films of liquid crystalline comb-like polymers by means of selective optical excitation

The effect of laser irradiation on optical properties of a comb-like liquid crystal acrylic copolymer containing cyano-biphenyl groups and groups of an azo-dye was investigated. It has been demonstrated that films with homeotropic or planar orientation made from the LC copolymer can be employed as materials for phase recording. Dependences of the induced birefringence on the intensity and polarization of the incident beam at various wavelengths have been established. The maximum attainable magnitudes of birefringence were found to be 0.002 for films with homeotropic and 0.03 for films with planar orientation.