Leading international experts survey the recent significant theoretical and experimental developments in the synthesis, physico-chemical study and potential applications of electroresponsive and photooptical active polymers. Attention is focused on materials for information technique, optical data storage, optoelectronics and holography. Written by authors from the academic and industry, the book is intended for polymer scientists, engineers and technologists in polymer science. Interdisciplinary in nature it will be also of interest to students, researchers and practitioners in polymer science, photochemistry, materials science, optics and liquid crystals.

1 Photochemical Hole Burning and Photooptical Properties of Doped Dye Molecules in Linear Polymers.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Photochemical Hole Burning of Dye/Polymer Systems.- 1.3 Photon Echo of Dye/Polymer Systems.- 1.4 Photoinduced Refractive Index Change and Birefringence of Dye/Polymer Systems.- 1.5 References.- 2 Comb-Shaped Polymers with Mesogenic Side Groups as Electro- and Photooptical Active Media.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Specific Features of the Molecular Structure of Functionalized Comb-Shaped Liquid-Crystalline Polymers.- 2.3 Comb-Shaped Dye-Containing Polymers with Mesogenic Side Groups.- 2.4 Electrooptical Behavior of Liquid-Crystalline Compounds.- 2.5 Thermooptical Recording of Information on Films of Comb-Shaped Liquid-Crystalline Polymers.- 2.6 Photooptical Effects in Comb-Shaped Polymers.- 2.7 Summary and Outlook.- 2.8 References.- 3 Cyclic Liquid-Crystalline Siloxanes as Optical Recording Materials.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Cyclic Liquid-Crystalline Siloxanes.- 3.3 Optical Recording with Cyclic Liquid-Crystalline Siloxanes.- 3.4 References.- 4 Photoregulation of Liquid Crystal Alignment by Photochromic Molecules and Polymeric Thin Films.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Alignment Regulation by Surface-Modified Silica.- 4.3 Alignment Regulation by Polymer Thin Films.- 4.4 Surface-Assisted Azimuthal Alignment Regulation.- 4.5 Future Aspects.- 4.6 References.- 5 Electric Field Poling of Nonlinear Optical Side Chain Polymers.- 5.1 Introduction: Context and Scope.- 5.2 The Electrooptical Effect in Optically Nonlinear Materials.- 5.3 Theoretical Models for the Calculation of Order Parameters..- 5.4 Measurements of the Electrooptical Effect in Polymer Samples.- 5.5 Comparison of Experimental Results with Theory.- 5.6 Summary.- 5.7 References.