METHOD OF IMPARTING OPTICAL ANISOTROPY TO POLYMER FILM, DEVICE THEREFOR AND OPTICALLY ANISOTROPIC MEDIUM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a polymer film with high optical anisotropy with a simple method, to provide a device therefore and to provide an optically anisotropic medium equipped with the highly optically anisotropic polymer film obtained with the method. SOLUTION: The method of imparting the optical anisotropy to the polymer film by making polarized light irradiate the polymer film having a T(thermal) type photochromic property with which a photo-isomerizable group or a photo- isomerizable molecule isomerizes by a thermal reverse reaction after isomerization with light, is provided with two successive steps comprising a step to make the polarized light irradiate the polymer film and a step to leave the polymer film as it is with shielding of the polarized light. The method of imparting the optical anisotropy to the polymer film is characterized by controlling the temperature of the polymer film to strengthen alignment of the photo-isomerizable group or the photo-isomerizable molecule induced by the thermal reverse reaction in at least one step out of the two steps.