Investigation of circular Bragg reflection in an azo polymer with photoinduced chirality

There has been recent interest in photoinduced chirality in azo polymers upon irradiation with circularly polarized light. The mechanism of ordering is thought to involve successive twisting of the achiral photoactive azo-containing side chains in response to the handedness of the pump polarization. In this study, a thin film of a liquid-crystalline azo polymer with a room-temperature nematic phase is irradiated with circularly polarized light …