New photorotor for the induction of anisotropy.

A new class of photosensitive compounds generates optical anisotropy comparable to azobenzene systems upon irradiation with linearly polarized light, but, in contrast to these systems, the new photorotor system does not absorb in the visible range. High values of dichroism and birefringence are induced and in the case of LC polymers the light induced order can be amplified by self-organization.