Polarized electroluminescence of light emitting liquid crystalline polymers

Smectic liquid crystalline arylenevinylene main chain polymers were used in light emitting diodes (LEDs) to produce linearly polarized electroluminescence. The degree of orientational order induced by a rubbed polyimide layer amounted to S = 0.64, as extracted from the electroluminescence spectra. The great advantages of these LC polymers are their good thermal stability, processability and broad mesophase range, and the possibility of applying established orientation techniques in order to achieve a macroscopic orientation.