抄録
Films of poly[4-(2-methacryloylethoxy)azobenzene] irradiated with linearly polarized light induced homogeneous alignment of liquid crystals (LC) like a rubbed polyimide film, because of surface anisotropy generated by photoreorientation of azobenzene moieties. Films annealed before irradiation needed more exposure energies of incident light to induce homogeneous LC alignment, than as-cast films. And also photo-rewriting from the initial LC alignment required a large energy to change, in the case of films contacting with LC layers. While a film without LC layers during irradiation caused photo-rewriting of LC alignment at an extraordinarily small energy (10mJ cm-2).
