抄録
Recently, we have reported that in-plane alignment control of liquid crystals (LCs) is achieved by linearly-polarized-light-treated thin film of polymers having azobenzene side chains. In this work, two azobenzene containing polymers were used. One is a polymer substituted with azobenzene units through an ethylene group as a spacer. Another is a polymer with azobenzene side chains without a spacer. Thin films of these polymers were rubbed unidirectionally, and then the dichroic ratios of rubbed polymer films were investigated. Further, LC cells were fabricated by sandwiching an nematic LC doped with a dichroic dye between the rubbed polymer films and a lecithin treated glass plate. As a result, the direction of the alignment of azo-groups and LC molecules were in parallel with the rubbing direction for a polymer with an ethylene spacer. On the other hand, the alignment of azogroups and LC molecules were perpendicular to the rubbing direction for a polymer without a methylene spacer.
