Abstract
The order parameter S of liquid crystalline (LC) side chain polymers is compared with the order parameter of corresponding low molar mass LCs by measurements of the birefringence and of the linear dichroism of dye probes. It has been shown that the temperature dependence of S is identical for monomers and for polymers. For the LC polymers, however, the magnitude of S is about 10 % smaller than S of the LC monomers. If the mesogenic molecules are linked via different flexible spacers to the backbone no change of S is observed. The nematic and smectic polymers that have been investigated exhibit a glassy state at low temperatures. Below the glass transition S is frozen in and does no longer change with temperature. This is of technological interest for the application of anisotropic films having a defined degree of order, e.g. for storage effects.
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