Frustrated liquid crystalline side group polymers for optical storage

Abstract

The phase formation and thermodynamic properties of side group copolymers composed of different concentrations of mesogenic azobenzene side groups and non-mesogenic side groups were investigated. Such kinds of polymers can be used for optical data storage. The storage process is caused in this case by a light-induced reorientation of the chromophores. The basic idea was that the introduction of non-mesogenic units should lead to frustration effects in the sense that amorphous polymers are obtained, which can be handled more easily than liquid crystalline polymers yet which still possess strong orientational interactions between the side groups allowing cooperative switching processes. The results of thermodynamic, structural and dynamical investigations indicate that this goal can be achieved on the basis of such copolymers.