OPTICAL RECORDING MATERIAL

摘要

An optical recording material which comprises a side chain type polymer liquid crystal containing a photochromic compound of electrocyclic reaction type, such as a diallyl ethene compound, or a side chain type polymer liquid crystal comprising a monomer unit having said photochromic compound bonded thereto in the polymer chain thereof. The optical recording material is used for optical recording after uniaxial orientation. A method for optical recording which comprises irradiating the optical recording material with an information signal comprising a light having a wavelength suitable for changing the structure of the photochromic compound, at a temperature near to the tranparency temperature of the side chain type polymer liquid crystal, to change the molecular orientation of the side chain type polymer liquid crystal, thereby recording the information signal in the optical recording material. A method for reading the above optical record which comprises reading a change in the double refractive index of the side chain type polymer liquid crystal as a modulation of a polarization of an incident light, at a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature of the side chain type polymer liquid crystal. In the readout of the record, the use of a light having the same wave length as that of the light having been used for the optical recording does not result in destroying the information signal recorded in the optical recording material.