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The authors present high-color-rendering-index (CRI) white polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells (PLECs) based on ionic host-guest systems. PLECs were fabricated with blend films composed of a blue fluorescent cationic π-conjugated polymer, poly(9,9-bis[6′-(N,N,N,-trimethylammonium)hexyl]fluorine-co-alt-1,4-phenylene)bromide (PFN+Br−), used as a host, and a red phosphorescent cationic iridium complex, [Ir(ppy)2(biq)]+(PF6)− (where (ppy)− = 2-phenylpyridinate and biq = 2,2′-biquinoline), used as a guest. By optimizing the composition of PFN+Br− and [Ir(ppy)2(biq)]+(PF6)− in the active layers, white light emission with Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (x = 0.28, y = 0.31) and a very high CRI of 95.8 was achieved through mixing of blue and red light at an applied voltage of 4.0 V. The white light emissions were obtained at a low [Ir(ppy)2(biq)]+(PF6)− concentration (PFN+Br−:[Ir(ppy)2(biq)]+(PF6)− = 1:0.01 (mass ratio)), showing that [Ir(ppy)2(biq)]+(PF6)− acts as a suitable energy acceptor. The emission mechanism of the ionic host-guest PLECs can be explained by Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and Dexter energy transfer (DET) from the excited PFN+Br− to [Ir(ppy)2(biq)]+(PF6)−. Utilization of ionic host-guest PLECs is a very promising method for realizing white light-emitting devices with very high CRI.

The authors studied white polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on blue exciton emission by poly(9,9-di-n-dodecylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFD) and orange-to-red emission from exciplexes formed at the interface between the PFD and poly(4-methyl-triphenylamine-co-acetoaldehyde) (TPA-AA). It is thought that the orange-to-red light-emitting exciplexes formed at the TPA-AA/PFD interface have intermolecular charge-transfer (CT) characteristics, namely, TPA-AA+·PFD–, in which TPA-AA and PFD act as a donor (D) and an acceptor (A), respectively, and long intermolecular distances. TPA-AA is a nonconjugated polymer with good solubility in chloroform and acts as a hole transport layer (HTL). A bilayer PLED, ITO (indium tin oxide)/TPA-AA/PFD/Al, was fabricated by spin-coating, and white electroluminescence (EL), corresponding to Commission Internationale d’Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinates of (0.36, 0.28) and a brightness of 39.6 cd/m2, was achieved at 16 V. In order to decrease the turn-on voltage and enhanc...

Application of the concept of three-color (red (R), green (G), and blue (B)) light-mixing to obtain white light is the most suitable way to realize white-light-emitting devices with very high color-rendering indices (CRI). White-light-emitting devices based on the three-color-mixing method could be used to create lighting and display technologies. Here, white-light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) with very high CRIs are reported, which were fabricated by using blend films composed of a fluorescent π-conjugated polymer (FCP), poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene-co-benzothiadiazole) (PFBT), and a phosphorescent iridium complex, [Ir(ppy)2 (biq)]+ (PF6 )- (where (ppy)- =2-phenylpyridinate and biq=2,2'-biquinoline). The LECs fabricated with PFBT, the benzothiadiazole content of which is 0.01 mol %, showed blue electroluminescence (EL) emission originating from the fluorene segments and green EL emission from the benzothiadiazole units simultaneously. White LECs were then realized by adding red-emitting Ir complexes as guest molecules to the blue-green-emitting PFBT. By optimizing the proportions of the PFBT and Ir complexes in the active layers (PFBT/[Ir(ppy)2 (biq)]+ (PF6 )- =1:0.2 (mass ratio)), white-light emission with Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.29, 0.34) and a very high CRI value of 91.5 was achieved through RGB color-mixing. It was noted that the emission mechanism was based on Forster resonance energy transfer and Dexter energy transfer from excited PFBT to [Ir(ppy)2 (biq)]+ (PF6 )- . The utilization of LECs based on blue-green FCPs and red Ir complexes looks very promising for the prospect of realizing white-light-emitting devices with very high CRIs.

The authors fabricated OLED devices with enhanced out-coupling efficiency, made using corrugated substrates which have nanostructures imprinted from a self-assembled block-copolymer pattern. We optimized the substrate for transparent OLED lighting by shortening the pattern pitch to develop a new substrate that is transparent with 0.1 % haze and an out-coupling efficiency 1.79 times that of a device made with a flat glass substrate.

The authors report on white polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells (PLECs) fabricated with a polymer blend film composed of a blue fluorescent π-conjugated polymer (blue FCP), poly(9,9-di-n-dodecylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFD), and a red-orange FCP, poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV), based on concepts of band-structure engineering. Polymer blending is one of the simplest and most promising methods for fabrication of van der Waals interfaces, which convert electricity to light in PLECs. By optimizing the composition of PFD, MEH-PPV, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and salt (KCF3SO3) in the active layer, white-light emission with Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (x = 0.33, y = 0.31) can be achieved through light mixing of blue exciton emission from PFD and red-orange exciton emission from MEH-PPV at an applied voltage higher than the threshold voltage, Vthblue-FCP, which corresponds to Egblue-FCP/e, where Egblue-FCP is the band gap of PFD and e i...

Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are seen as a promising technology that could usher in a new generation of lighting devices that are both energy- and cost-efficient. This has created an urgent need for highly efficient white-emitting LECs. Technologies have to be developed for realizing efficient white emission, suited to the simple structure of LEC devices. Utilizing exciplex emission is one means of obtaining white emission. In this chapter, the authors present an approach to obtaining white emission based on emission from exciplexes formed between a fluorescent conducting polymer (FCP) and aromatic amines. The exciplexes, which are complexes that can form between molecules in the excited state, emit light as electrons are transferred from the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the FCP to the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the amine. The exciplex emission includes longer wavelengths and is broader in spectrum than the excitonic emission of FCP, such that white light can be obtained by combining the two types of emissions. By using the right amine in the proper concentration, we were able to produce white emission with x/y CIE color coordinates of 0.33/0.31 and a color rendering index (CRI) of 80 with a device having only a single active layer.

Next-generation, power-efficient organic lighting systems, which ideally would be low-cost and mass-producible, are urgently needed because more than 20% of total electricity use goes to lighting. This study presents polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells (PLECs) made using mass-producible nanoimprinted corrugated substrates, which effectively improve light extraction efficiency. The corrugated substrates are fabricated using roll-to-roll methods, using self-assembled block copolymers on glass and film substrates (glass: 0.45 m × 0.55 m, film: 0.6 m wide). Using the glass-type corrugated substrates, two PLECs based on (poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene]) and (“super-yellow” poly(p-phenylene vinylene)) (SY-PPV) are fabricated by solution-based spin-coating methods, which can in practice be replaced by roll-to-roll methods. The corrugated PLECs with SY-PPV show high brightness of 1740 cd cm−2 and 2.1 times greater efficiency without changing the original spectrum or angular dependence. This successful combination of corrugated substrates and PLECs is one of the best examples of a promising cost-effective, high-performance lighting technology.

A novel corrugated substrate has been developed for OLED lighting applications. The substrate enhances the light extraction efficiency without changing the spectra or luminous intensity distributions due to its self-assembled quasi-periodic structure. By combining the corrugated substrate with a specially designed lens array, a 102% improvement in power efficiency was achieved in a large area light-emitting device.

The authors present an approach for fabricating stable white light emission from polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells (PLECs) having an active layer which consists of blue-fluorescent poly(9,9-di-n-dodecylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFD) and π-conjugated triphenylamine molecules. This white light emission originates from exciplexes formed between PFD and amines in electronically excited states. A device containing PFD, 4,4',4''-tris[2-naphthyl(phenyl)amino]triphenylamine (2-TNATA), Poly(ethylene oxide) and K2CF3SO3 showed white light emission with Commission internationale de l'éclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.33, 0.43) and a Color Rendering Index (CRI) of Ra = 73 at an applied voltage of 3.5 V. Constant voltage measurements showed that the CIE coordinates of (0.27, 0.37), Ra of 67, and the emission color observed immediately after application of a voltage of 5 V were nearly unchanged and stable after 300 sec.

Organic light-emitting diodes featuring layers with a spontaneously formed buckled geometry are demonstrated to offer at least a twofold improvement in light extraction efficiency across the entire visible spectrum.

A cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) is a self-assembled photonic crystal formed by rodlike molecules, including chiral molecules, that arrange themselves in a helical fashion. The CLC has a single photonic bandgap and an associated one-colour reflection band for circularly polarized light with the same handedness as the CLC helix (selective reflection). These optical characteristics, particularly the circular polarization of the reflected light, are attractive for applications in reflective colour displays without using a backlight, for use as polarizers or colour filters and for mirrorless lasing. Recently, we showed by numerical simulation that simultaneous multicolour reflection is possible by introducing fibonaccian phase defects. Here, we design and fabricate a CLC system consisting of thin isotropic films and of polymeric CLC films, and demonstrate experimentally simultaneous red, green and blue reflections (multiple photonic bandgaps) using the single-pitched polymeric CLC films. The experimental reflection spectra are well simulated by calculations. The presented system can extend applications of CLCs to a wide-band region and could give rise to new photonic devices, in which white or multicolour light is manipulated.

Electric characteristics of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with two-dimensional hexagonally nanoimprinted periodic structures were investigated, and enhanced light extraction from this device was confirmed. A master mold was fabricated from an azobenzene polymer thin film patterned by sequential surface relief grating formation into a three-directional structure. The device shows a higher current density and a higher current efficiency, although leakage current is also higher than that of a device without periodic structures. These results are caused by the extraction of diffracted light from waveguided and substrate-guided light even when incident light has larger angles than the critical angle for total reflection.

We have developed a liquid crystalline retardation film technology by using a rod-like liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) for various LCD modes. In particular, considerable improvements in viewing angle performance have been achieved for the Twisted Nematic (TN) and the transmissive/transflective Electrically Controlled Birefringence (ECB) modes by using hybrid aligned nematic film ‘NH Film’.

A flexible microcavity organic light-emitting diode (OLED) was fabricated and the emitting characteristics were examined. A pair of right- and left-handed cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) films were attached to the microcavity OLED between aluminum (Al) and silver (Ag). Sharply directed spontaneous emission was observed from microcavity OLEDs, in which a typical luminescent material, 8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3), with a broad emission spectrum was used for emitting layer. The introduction of the CLC film improved both the emission bandwidth and directionality, preserving the turn-on voltage and maximum brightness.

We fabricated a hybrid structure composed of a dye-doped low-molecular-weight cholesteric liquid crystal (low CLC) sandwiched between polymer cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) films with the same handedness as the low CLC, and studied its lasing characteristics. Defect-mode lasing was observed with a threshold reduced by a factor of 3 compared with that in a simple dye-doped low CLC cell. Experimental and simulated results for the transmittance, emission, and photonic density-of-states spectra are also discussed.

To improve quality of images of LCDs such as their viewing angle performance and coloration, liquid crystalline retardation film technology has been developed by using rod-like liquid crystalline polymer. The resulting liquid crystalline retardation film has several advantages over conventional uni- or biaxial stretched retardation film. By using liquid crystalline polymer, the direction of the principal axis can be determined freely for roll-to-roll lamination. Optical well-controlled structures such as twisted nematic, hybrid nematic and homeotropic structures can be stabilized for ideal compensation of various LCD modes including STN, TN, ECB, VA and IPS LCDs.

A liquid crystal (LC) photonic device with an anisotropic optical heterojunction structure has been fabricated. The device has a phase-retarding nematic LC (NLC) layer sandwiched between two polymer cholesteric LC films with right-handed helices of different pitches. Electrotunable non-reciprocal light transmittance and unidirectional circularly polarized (CP) lasing emission have been successfully demonstrated for this device structure. Two left CP (LCP) lasing emission peaks are observed at the edges of the overlapping region between the two photonic bands in the structure and are shifted upon the application of a voltage. In contrast, a non-reciprocal right CP (RCP) lasing emission peak emerges at one of the band edges and diminishes upon the application of a voltage. These phenomena are interpreted based on the selective reflection of RCP light and the reorientation of the NLC molecules by the application of a voltage.

We have experimentally demonstrated the optical diode performance in a two-layered device consisting of a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) film with a right-handed helical structure and a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) layer as a phase retarder of a half wave. Right-circularly polarized (RCP) light of the wavelength the same as the optical pitch of the helix is totally reflected by the CLC film when the light is incident from the CLC film side. On the other hand, if the incidence is made from the NLC side, RCP is transformed to left-circularly polarized (LCP) light and is then passed through the CLC film. Not only such an optical diode performance, i.e., unidirectional propagation (non-reciprocal transmission), but also its electro-tunability was also shown. The transmittance can be essentially tuned between 0% and 100%.

Manipulation of light is in strong demand in information technologies. Among the wide range of linear and nonlinear optical devices that have been used, growing attention has been paid to photonic crystals that possess a periodic modulation of dielectric function. Among many photonic bandgap (PBG) structures, liquid crystals with periodic structures are very attractive as self-assembled photonic crystals, leading to optical devices such as dye lasers. Here we report a new hetero-PBG structure consisting of an anisotropic nematic layer sandwiched between two cholesteric liquid-crystal layers with different helical pitches. We optically visualized the dispersion relation of this structure, displaying the optical diode performance: that is, the non-reciprocal transmission of circular polarized light at the photonic-bandgap regions. Transmittance spectra with circularly polarized light also reveal the diode performance, which is well simulated in calculations that include an electro-tunable diode effect. Lasing action was also confirmed to show the diode effect with a particular directionality.

The effect of the introduction of polymer cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) films on the threshold of dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) distributed feedback (DFB) cavity lasing has been investigated. A PCLC film used to reflect a pump beam brings about the efficient use of incident energy, whereas a PCLC film used to reflect the emission contributes to amplifying the stimulated emission. As a result, the cell, in which both PCLC films are introduced, gains about a 60% reduction in the lasing threshold. It is also found that a lasing threshold exists not only for the excitation energy but also for the emission intensity. Namely, the lasing starts to occur at a certain emission level irrespective of the cell structures.

We have studied the lasing characteristics of a dye-doped nematic layer sandwiched by two polymeric cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) films as photonic band gap (PBG) materials. The nematic layer acts as a defect layer, the anisotropy of which brings about the following remarkable optical characteristics: (1) reflectance in the PBG region exceeds 50% due to the retardation effect, being unpredictable from a single CLC film; (2) efficient lasing occurs either at the defect mode wavelength or at the photonic band edge; and (3) the lasing emission due to both the defect mode and the photonic band edge mode contains both right- and left-circular polarizations, while the lasing emission from a dye-doped single CLC layer with a left-handed helix is left-circularly polarized.

In the application of cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) polymer film to mono-color polarizers, diffusive reflection is preferred rather than mirror reflection at the point of visibility. This led us to develop a diffusion-type CLC (D-CLC) film. The newly developed D-CLC film exhibits high circular dichroism with bright color reflection that can be observed from almost all directions. The layer structure of the D-CLC film was directly confirmed by analysis with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the diffusive property and polarization of the reflected light are mainly affected by the layer structure of the D-CLC.

Lasing from a dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) has been studied in cells with a single-output window. One of the glass substrates of the cells was coated with a polymeric CLC film having a high reflectance for laser emission or an aluminum layer for reflection of both pump and lasing beams. Laser emission toward one direction was observed with enhanced intensity.

We have demonstrated a new type of lasing mode in a dye-doped 100-µm-thick nematic liquid crystal layer sandwiched between two polymeric cholesteric liquid crystal films functioning as a photonic crystal. The fabricated cell exhibits several characteristic dips in the transmittance spectrum in addition to fine fringes originating from a Fabry–Perot cavity mode. These dips are due to the phase retardation between optical eigenmodes in the birefringent medium, which is not realized in an isotropic layer. The cell shows multimode lasing at wavelengths corresponding to transmittance maxima within the stopband region when the nematic layer is doped with dyes.

The authors have developed liquid crystalline retardation films to improve certain aspects of LCD image quality such as viewing angle performance and coloration. We have successfully created several types of optical retardation films using a rod-like liquid crystalline polymer. The resulting liquid crystalline polymer films have several advantages over conventional uni- or biaxially stretched retardation films. Precisely controlled structures such as twisted nematic, homogeneous nematic, hybrid nematic and homeotropic structures can provide ideal compensation of various LCD types, such as STN, TN, ECB, VA and IPS-LCDs. Twisted nematic film effectively prevents coloration of STN-LCDs, which is a critical flaw affecting color representation. Short pitch cholesteric film, which utilizes said rod-like liquid crystalline polymer and is the optical equivalent of a negative C-plate, can expand the viewing angle of VA-LCDs. Hybrid nematic film is quite unique in that the film functions not only as a wave plate but also as a viewing angle compensator for TN and ECB-LCDs. Homeotropic film, which acts as a positive-C plate, greatly improves the viewing angle performance of IPS and CPVA-LCDs. Our homeotropically aligned liquid crystalline film, called “NV film”, is the world’s thinnest retardation film. The thickness of the liquid crystalline layer is a mere 1 micrometer. Homeotropic film can be used to expand the viewing angle not only of LCDs but also OLED displays. And NV film, when used in in combination with a quarter wavelength plate, can expand the viewing angles of the circular polarizers used to prevent reflection in OLED displays.

The authors present white polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells (PLECs) fabricated with polymer blend films of poly(9,9-di-n-dodecylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFD) and π-conjugated triphenylamine molecules. The PLECs have bulk heterojunction structures composed of van der Waals interfaces between the PFD segments and the amine molecules. White-light electroluminescence (EL) can be achieved via light-mixing of the blue exciton emission from PFD and long-wavelength exciplex emission from excited complexes consisting of PFD segments (acceptors (As)) and the amine molecules (donors (Ds)). Precise control of the distances between the PFD and the amine molecules, affected through proper choice of the concentrations of PFD, amine molecules, and polymeric solid electrolytes, is critical to realizing white emission. White PLECs can be fabricated with PFD and amine molecules whose highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels range from −5.3 eV to −5.0 eV. Meanwhile, PLECs fabricated with amine molecules whose ...

Filling-factor tunable titanium dioxide replicas of colloidal crystals were fabricated by using a liquid phase deposition (LPD) technique. Ammonium hexafluorotitanate [(NH4)2TiF6] was used as a precursor, which was converted slowly to titanium dioxide by hydrolysis with boric acid. After the oxide was formed in voids of latex colloidal crystals, the latex was removed by calcination. By applying the LPD process to the replica again, the filling factor of the replica could be increased in a controllable fashion. With 203 nm template spheres, the peak shift in the ∼490 nm stop band depended linearly on the deposition time for the first 20 min, at a rate of 4.4 nm/min. Thus the position of the Bragg reflection peak could be adjusted precisely by controlling the filling factor of the replica structure.

We demonstrate that the devices with buckling as a grating can effectively extract the substrate mode as well as the indium tin oxide/organic mode even without any hemisphere lens or microlens array. This is achieved by multiple reflections of the substrate mode with the randomly buckled cathode layer through appropriate device dimensions.

Two-dimensional (2D) titania arrays with periods of 0.8–2.0 μm were fabricated by polymerization of a photosensitive titanium-containing monomer film using interference photolithography. The 2D precursor arrays were prepared by exposing a mixture of methacrylic acid, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, and titanium ethoxide doped with photoinitiator to 355 nm, 15 ns pulses from a Nd-Yttrium–aluminum–garnet laser and then rinsing with methanol. Pure titania arrays were obtained from the precursor arrays by subsequent calcination at 575 °C. The structure of the arrays fabricated by this method was confirmed with optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

This letter describes a simple synthetic approach to fabricate two-dimensional midinfrared CdSe photonic crystals (PC) by electrodeposition of CdSe in a polymer template defined using interference lithography. Characterization of the transmission spectra of CdSe PCs with a hexagonal array of 1.3 μm diameter and 2.7 μm pitch air voids showed a well-defined drop in transmission at 4.23 μm. The drop in transmission increased with incident angle, reaching a maximum of approximately 2.6 dB at 40° relative to the surface normal. This two-step synthetic approach can be used to incorporate photonic crystals onto arbitrary substrates for integration into future advanced optical circuits.

We fabricate a buckling structure by thermally depositing aluminum on a polymer surface and cooling it to room temperature, and utilize the structure as a microlens aggregate for organic light emitting diodes. The aspect ratio of the lens is increased by a multiple deposition process. We demonstrate that the characteristics of the outcoupled emission of this device are improved from various perspectives such as efficiency, emission angle, and reduced spectral change. These improved characteristics originate from randomized double-curvatured lens structure with full surface coverage.

An active electrode (d10 mm, t6 mm) is presented, that functions as an impedance transformer (an input impedance10 G omega, an output impedance1 omega) by means of which we can derive surface EMG without any skin preparation and paste. This electrode was compared with a conventional one, and it was ascertained that the electrode could be replaced with the conventional one, and, moreover, it was preferable because it required less preparation time, and was less affected by environmental noise.

The authors have demonstrated the enhancement of linearly polarized lasing emission intensity using a structure made by a simple fabrication process. The enhanced lasing is achieved using a nanoimprinted distributed feedback structure together with spin-coated polymeric liquid crystals. The backward linearly TE-polarized lasing emission is transformed to left-handed circularly polarized light (L-CPL) by employing a dye-doped polymeric nematic liquid crystal (PNLC) film as a (−1/4)λ[=(3/4)λ] plate. The L-CPL is effectively reflected by a L-polymeric cholesteric liquid crystal film as a reflector and transformed back to TE-polarized light by the PNLC film; as a result one-directional emission intensity is enhanced.

The authors have demonstrated increased light outcoupling from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on nanoimprinted amorphous fluoropolymer, poly[perfluoro(4-vinyloxy-l-butene)] (PPFVB). Because PPFVB has a low refractive index and a high transmittance over wide wavelength range, the first-order Bragg diffracted light shows high directionality and decreased waveguide absorption. These characteristics provide an advantage for small- or medium-sized OLEDs, which are mainly viewed from the normal direction.

We have demonstrated polarization-tunable electroluminescence (EL) from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using a combination of polymeric cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) and nematic liquid crystal (NLC). By electrically controlling NLC alignment, the proposed EL device shows a continuous polarization tunability including two circular (right and left) and two linear polarizations without loss of light. This simple polarization-tunable EL device is based on photonic-device concept using spin-coatable PCLC. Hence, there is no limitation for choosing emissive materials with high internal efficiency. Also, its polarization tunability will be available in various optical devices and can extend OLED application to photonic technologies.

The authors have observed highly circularly polarized electroluminescence from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using wide-band reflector consisting of three-layered left-handed polymeric cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) films. By simply attaching the wide-band reflective PCLC reflector to a conventional OLED, the authors obtained a high degree of circular polarization, i.e., the ratio of brightness between right- and left-handed circularly polarized electroluminescences is over 10 over the whole emission band.

The authors have demonstrated defect mode lasing emission from a spin-coated double-layered dye-doped polymeric cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) films with a thin rubbed isotropic layer in between. The rubbed layer acts not only as an alignment layer for the second PCLC layer but also as an isotropic defect layer breaking periodicity of PCLC films. All the processes can be achieved in a wet process. Because of the process, the present polymeric solid-state laser is available as a freestanding thin film of only 5.5μm in thickness and an almost limitless large area, which enable one to use it as a disposable laser chip of any shapes.

Photoinduced circular anisotropy has been demonstrated in thin films of a main-chain polymeric liquid crystal (PLC) system doped with photochromic $\mathsf{W}$-shaped molecules containing two azobenzene groups by irradiating with circularly polarized light (CPL). Reversible photoinduced circular dichroism (CD) was observed with sign relevant to the handedness of the CPL. The experimentally observed CD spectra were analyzed using the DeVoe polarizability model associated with the coupled oscillator method. We also propose a mechanism for the photoinduced circular anisotropy in our system; nucleating the $\mathsf{W}$-shaped molecules with preferential twisted conformation by CPL irradiation, and triggering the local formation of a chiral structure in the $\mathsf{W}$-shaped-molecule-doped main-chain PLC medium.