Self-induced light polarization rotation in azobenzene-containing polymers

We report here a light-induced phenomenon--a self-induced rotation of the azimuth of elliptically polarized light passing through photobirefringent azopolymers. The experiments are carried out with films of amorphous and liquid-crystalline polymers. It has been shown that the induced rotation angle depends on the ellipticity of the input light. A theoretical analysis of the phenomenon has been done and it has been shown that light induces chiral structure in the polymer films. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)02731-5].