Inverse Relaxation of Photoinduced Birefringence in a Liquid-Crystalline Azobenzene Side-Chain Polymer

Photoinduced birefringence in a liquid-crystalline azobenzene side-chain polymer is investigated. It is observed that the birefringence does not show any decay but increases after switching off the pump light at room temperature. The magnitude of the birefringence relaxation is found to depend on the exposure dose of the pump light. A discussion about the mechanism of the inverse relaxation of birefringence is presented.